HANSARD: Evacuation for Canadian families and permanent residents in Gaza
House of Commons Hansard #232 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session.
Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank
Government Orders
October 16th, 2023 / 7:50 p.m.
Government Orders
October 16th, 2023 / 7:50 p.m.
Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC
NDP
NDP
Mr. Chair, I have many constituents who are very worried about their loved ones. Some of them are Canadians who are in Gaza at the moment, and some of them have sponsored family members who have yet to make it to Canada. They are trying to find a way to get to safety. Many of them cannot access GAC services for evacuation. Others are simply looking for a pathway that could help them get to a corridor of safety.
What is the government doing to provide evacuation for Canadian families abroad, individuals abroad who have permanent resident status and loved ones who are waiting for their sponsorship to be completed so they can get to safety?
Ahmed Hussen York South—Weston, ON
Liberal
Mr. Chair, I thank my hon. colleague for raising a really important question.
Many of us in our roles as members of Parliament have been dealing with constituents who are concerned about loved ones affected by this conflict, some who have loved ones trapped in Gaza and others whose extended family members, friends and loved ones are being held hostage by Hamas. The fact of the matter is that our government has been really prioritizing this issue. My colleagues, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Defence, have been working non-stop on this issue, and I am happy to report to Parliament that a number of those efforts have been successful, enabling Canadians to be evacuated back to Canada, in some cases from the West Bank to Jordan and in some cases from Israel back to Canada. Those efforts are ongoing and we will do everything we can to help Canadians evacuate from Gaza, West Bank and Israel.
