A family divided: Gazans who fled to Canada wait and worry for those left behind

After months of enduring the war in Gaza, Waseem Elrayyes and his immediate family are among the lucky ones who have been able to escape to Canada under the federal government's temporary visa program. 

Elrayyes, 39, his wife, their five children, his mother and brother have been living in Nepean with his sister Ola Alrayyes since Oct. 31, 2024.

Before arriving in Canada, the family sheltered in crowded buildings and a tent in Gaza after their own home was destroyed. His youngest child was born during the war.

Elrayyes doesn't speak English, so his sister interpreted as he recalled what it was like to live through the conflict.

"You don't know what's going to happen, if it will be your last day or not," said Alrayyes, whose own family has six members. 

"His children were not the same children that he used to have," she continued. "They were screaming, [had] fear all the time and anxiety and lots of mental issues affected them during the war." 

The Canadian government announced the special measure for extended families last January, allowing eligible Gazans to stay in Canada for up to three years in most cases. 

The program was originally capped at 1,000, but in May, Immigration Minister Marc Miller increased the number of available visas to 5,000 to accommodate the rising demand. 

Alrayyes has applied on behalf of 29 of her family members, but so far only 16 have arrived.  

"We're waiting for the Canadian government to take extra steps to help people that live in Gaza. Many people there [are] waiting for this moment," she said. 

As of Jan. 4, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said 4,782 applications had been counted toward the intake cap, and have been deemed eligible — but only 616 people have arrived under the temporary policy. 

Holdup at the border

In a statement to CBC, IRCC said before an application can be finalized, the applicants must exit Gaza to complete their biometrics in Egypt. But that's not always easy.

"Movement out of Gaza remains extremely challenging due to factors outside of Canada's control. This continues to be the primary issue in how quickly we can process applications from Gazans," IRCC said. 

IRCC added that 1,014 people have exited Gaza on their own, have submitted biometrics and have been approved to come to Canada. 

Elrayyes and his family completed this process back in March, crossing the Rafah border into Egypt at a cost of $5,000 US per adult and $2,500 per child. 

But when the border crossing closed later in the spring, his two sisters were unable to complete the application. Now, many are stuck in the same situation. 

"I was like helpless. I cannot do anything about it. We're rooting for the Canadian government to do anything about it," Alrayyes said in a separate interview. "You worry all the time about them." 

'Disturbing, alarming, problematic'

Jamie Liew, a law professor at the University of Ottawa who is an expert in immigration, refugee and citizenship law, said she sympathizes with the Canadian government for the unique challenges this conflict poses, but thinks more needs to be done. 

"We have a lot of experience in bringing people over in large scale, including the Syrian refugee crisis and those that were coming from Ukraine. So I think it is quite telling, disturbing, alarming, problematic that only a few people have been able to benefit from this program," Liew said. 

After 15 months of war, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal on Jan. 15 to pause the fighting in Gaza. Liew hopes the Canadian government capitalizes on what could be a short window. 

"Now that we have a ceasefire, this is the time to be acting quickly and rapidly. We don't know how long the ceasefire will last. I think it is incumbent upon the government to act quickly, to act rapidly and to assist — to really put the resources there — to assist people to get out," she said. 

Elrayyes fears the pause in violence will be short-lived. 

"In spite of the joy ... that the river of blood will be stopped, there is another concern. I think it will be another war after war. The infrastructure of Gaza, it's all demolished. The people in Gaza right now, they will have a very challenging situation," Alrayyes said on behalf of her brother.