FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2026
Families Separated by Gaza Siege Urge Federal Government to
Immediately Reform and Expedite Special Immigration Measures
Ottawa — Families deeply impacted by the Israeli attacks on Gaza joined MP Jenny Kwan to call on the federal government to urgently reform and accelerate the Special Immigration Measures program established to provide refuge to Palestinians with relatives in Canada.
In January 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a temporary public policy intended to offer safe haven to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip with family ties in Canada. The government assured Canadians that if they had loved ones in Gaza, they could apply to bring them to safety. More than a year later, families say the program’s incredibly slow processing times and structural barriers have left many separated and at deep risk.
“By all accounts, this seems to be a system and a process set up by the federal government that is ultimately designed to fail. The promise of humanitarian assistance offered by Canada is, by all intents and purposes, a fiction for far too many families that have suffered through the bloodshed in Gaza,” said MP Jenny Kwan.
A central obstacle remains the biometric requirement. Applicants must provide fingerprints and photographs at a Canadian visa office or application centre in order to undergo security screening. However, there is no facility within Gaza to complete biometrics. Applicants must leave the territory to do so — yet most are unable to exit due to border restrictions and extremely limited movement through the Rafah Border Crossing.
As a result, families approved in principle are often stalled indefinitely. Advocates report that processing delays have had devastating consequences, with some applicants dying while waiting for decisions. Since the war began, over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.
Qasem Alyazji, who arrived in Canada with his three children under the special measures program, has remained separated from his wife, who could not complete biometrics under active war conditions. When travel authorization was issued, her name was not included. She stayed behind so their children could reach safety. Today, his children repeatedly ask when their mother will join them.
Faten El-Khaldi, a widow and mother who fled Gaza after her husband was killed in an airstrike during evacuation, now lives in Canada with her young son. Her extended family remains displaced. She faces ongoing immigration uncertainty due to administrative barriers and the temporary nature of the current program, limiting her ability to rebuild her life.
“These are not administrative inconveniences,” said MP Jenny Kwan. “They are life-altering delays affecting families who have already endured profound trauma.”
Advocates also warn of significant backlogs within humanitarian and compassionate streams. With tens of thousands of applications reportedly in inventory and limited annual admissions, families fear that without policy reform, many cases could take decades to resolve. Temporary resident visas without clear pathways to permanent residency prolong instability and hinder integration.
Families and community advocates are urging the Government of Canada to:
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Expedite processing of all remaining Gaza Special Immigration Measure applications within 14 days, using streamlined security screening standards similar to those applied during the 2022 emergency response for Ukrainians.
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Create a dedicated long-term immigration stream for Palestinians affected by conflict and displacement, including a pathway to permanent residency.
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Reform the Gaza Temporary Resident Visa program to ensure transparency, accessibility under conflict conditions, and equitable processing, along with comprehensive settlement supports to facilitate employment, education, and healthcare access.
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Support Bill C-233, aimed at ensuring Canadian components or weapons systems are not complicit in the humanitarian crisis.
While families acknowledge Canada’s role in providing safety, they stress that partial protection is not enough when loved ones remain in danger. They are calling for flexibility in extraordinary circumstances, timely processing, and durable immigration solutions that prioritize family unity and humanitarian protection.
“Enough is enough,” said MP Kwan. “We need decisive action from the federal government immediately.”
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