Overview

• Canada is offering three-year temporary visas to residents of Gaza who have Canadian relatives, as announced by Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
• The program is expected to be operational by January 9, and will accept applications from extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, including spouses, children, siblings, parents, and grandparents.
• The Canadian government, however, cannot guarantee safe passage out of Gaza, a region currently under siege and experiencing a devastating conflict.
• The conflict, which began on October 7, has resulted in the displacement of 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.2 million residents and the death of at least 20,000 people, mostly women and children.
• The move by Canada comes amid increasing pressure from Palestinian-Canadian families and the New Democratic Party, and is seen as a humanitarian pathway to safety.