1,000-visa cap on program for Gaza refugees too low, say members of Manitoba's Palestinian community

A Winnipeg man whose family has been devastated by the conflict between Israel and Hamas is calling on the federal government to remove a cap on the number of Palestinians who can seek refuge in Canada.

Louay Alghoul says a recently announced temporary immigration program for those wanting to flee Gaza and come to Canada — which launches Jan. 9 — will help provide some temporary relief for Gazans, but the number of visas being offered is far too small.

"I think it's going to be filled up in the first hour or even less on Jan. 9," Alghoul told CBC this week. 

"It's not enough. It has to be opened to at least a minimum of 15,000 to 20,000 applications."

He told CBC in an interview last month that more than 65 members of his extended family have been killed in Gaza since the conflict started on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostage, Israeli officials say.

Israel's subsequent offensive, aimed at wiping out Hamas, has devastated Gaza and killed 22,700 people, Palestinian health officials say.

On Dec. 21, Marc Miller, Canada's federal minister responsible for immigration and refugees, announced the new program to help people fleeing the war. It offers visas to 1,000 Palestinians, which would allow them to take refuge in Canada for three years if their families are willing to support them financially.

Alghoul moved to Canada in 1989 and is now an immigration lawyer at his own firm, which is offering free assistance to Canadian families who want to apply through the new program. He has received more than 200 queries since the announcement. 

Apart from the 1,000-visa cap, Aghoul says the program also presents a number of challenges for people who want to apply.

"I completely understand it's a new announcement and it's difficult to put things together at the last minute.… Everybody's scrambling to try and understand what could and could not be involved," he said.

Alghoul says some applicants won't be able to meet the first requirement for eligibility: holding a Palestinian passport and living in Gaza. Some people fled from Gaza to Egypt and were given temporary Egyptian travel documents, he said.

"So now these people don't have Palestinian passports to show to the authorities," he said. "It needs to be worked out." 

Alghoul says the program's second requirement — having a direct relative in Canada to sponsor refugees and cover their financial needs — may also be problematic.

Using his own family as an example, Alghoul said his uncle and his uncle's wife are being sponsored by his father. One of Alghoul's cousins is sponsoring several family members — three siblings and their children, and his mother.

"But when you're talking about being responsible, financially, for … his mother, his two brothers and one sister, and their children, it would be almost impossible," said Alghoul.

Besides the sponsorship, the applicants also need to provide proof of their relationship. Producing those documents can be another big challenge. 

"It's basically a war situation where there are no more homes, schools, hospitals and ministries to produce official documents.… So how do you produce, for example, your degree? Or how do you produce a marriage certificate or birth certificate?"

Long-term plan needed: association president

Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba, also has concerns about the program.

"I think there's a lot more people that need to be taken out.… There's over two million people living in Gaza," he said.

Zeid says he appreciates the government giving temporary visas, but says there needs to be a plan to help them when they get here.

He knows of at least 30 Manitoba families who have relatives in Gaza, some of whom have up to 10 family members.

"The community here is ready to help out, but … there's only so much that we can do," he said.

"We can help out in the short term, but what about the long term?" 

Zahra Rizvi, a Winnipeg member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, says even though the visa program is a step in the right direction, it's a far cry from the way Ukrainian refugees have been welcomed. 

"The duality of the way that this is being handled is just sad to me. I understand that they're trying to try to help these Palestinians, but it's just the hypocrisy of it that is just concerning to me," she said. 

Rizvi notes Canada placed no cap on Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland and wonders why the government can't "bring that same energy" to welcoming refugees from Gaza.

Manitoba Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino says the province is waiting to hear more details from the federal government regarding the program.

"What we understand is that the people have to go through different processes," she said. "We're going to be prepared to respond to their needs once they arrive. And we're hoping that some will come to Manitoba."

In the last two years, Marcelino says Manitoba has welcomed an estimated 20,000 Ukrainian refugees — about 12 per cent of the total who fled to Canada. 

"Manitoba has always in the past, and I think will always in the future, rise to the challenge to welcome people who need refuge," she said. "This is what makes Manitoba and Manitobans very special."