Canadian trapped in Gaza pleads for help as Ottawa announces new immigration measures
Darren Major | CBC News | Posted: December 21, 2023 8:15 PM | Last Updated: December 21
Immigration minister announced temporary measures Thursday to help Canadian family members flee Gaza
A Canadian citizen trapped in Gaza is begging for help as Ottawa announces new measures to help family members of Canadians flee the war zone.
Mahmoud Kouta of London, Ont. told CBC News he's been trapped in Gaza since the current Israel-Hamas war broke out.
The air and ground war was launched in response to Hamas's brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, the war has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians and displaced roughly 1.9 million people, and has demolished much of northern Gaza.
Kouta said he was living in northern Gaza and fled south to Rafah with his wife and 18-month old daughter after his house was bombed.
Israeli officials ordered evacuating Palestinian civilians to head for Rafah and a handful of other towns, but the area has been bombarded regularly by Israeli forces.
"Nowhere is safe," Kouta said.
"When I go to find water, when I go to find food, I tell my wife goodbye. I kiss my daughter and I hope it's not the last kiss that I give to her.
"I can't explain to you how we feel when we hear the sound of bombing. All we can do is try to calm down our young ones."
WATCH | Palestinians flee after strike in Rafah:
Hundreds of Canadians and permanent residents were able to escape Gaza through the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border last month. Foreign nationals were able to leave Gaza under an apparent agreement between the United States, Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, but the evacuations have since slowed.
Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced temporary measures on Thursday that could allow extended family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to flee Gaza.
The government will grant temporary residency to extended family members — including spouses, common law partners, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents or grandparents — who want to leave Gaza, Miller told reporters.
"We've had limited ability to get Canadians and permanent residents out, but we have limited it to closer family unit definitions," he said.
"This expands the definition and allows us a greater set of people that may not be permanent residents or Canadians, but for all intents and purposes represent the family of people that are close to Canadians."
WATCH | Miller says government has 'no assurances' families will be allowed to leave:
Miller said the current humanitarian crisis has made Gaza "unlivable." He added that the government doesn't have "any assurances" that those family members on Canada's list will be able to leave Gaza. He noted that there is an extensive vetting process on the ground.
"We have a cohesive list of people and motivations for them to come out based on this family definition that's now expanded," he said. "Whether they do or don't get out will not be dependent on Canada, but we will put the effort in."
Miller also announced that immediate family members of citizens or permanent residents who left Gaza or Israel after Oct. 7 and now reside in Canada will be allowed temporarily to apply for study or work permits.
Kouta said he attempted to cross into Egypt with his parents and younger siblings a few weeks ago. While some of his family members were allowed to leave, he was not. He said he has sought answers from Canadian officials but hasn't been told why he and the rest of his family can't leave.
"All I hope for is to leave with my wife and my daughter and the rest of my family here, safely back to Canada as soon as possible," he said.
"At any moment I can die. At any moment I can lose my wife, I can lose my daughter."
Israa Al Saafin, a community representative with the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), welcomed the new measures but said they're coming too late for some.
Al Saafin's brother was killed in Gaza. She said she now hopes the government's new measures will mean her father, nephew and sister-in-law will be able to come home.
"The priority of me and my family here is to bring everybody to safety," she told a press conference following Miller's announcement.
Al Saafin said hundreds of Canadians have reached out to the NCCM with concerns about their families in Gaza.
"Our families are alive because of luck. If you're lucky enough, the bombing is not beside you," she said.
NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan welcomed the government's announcement but said it was "long overdue."
"As more than two million people remain trapped under the devastating siege, many Canadians have been enduring daily distress that is beyond comprehension," she said in a media statement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked earlier in the day why the government didn't act sooner.
"It's an extremely difficult situation and we have been working very, very hard to get Canadian citizens and their families out of Gaza," he said.
Trudeau said the government is pushing forward with more measures. He also said there needs to be a longer-term focus on a two-state solution.
"What we need to do is ensure the viability of a Palestinian state alongside an Israeli state, living in peace, living in security into the future," he said.