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Palestinian-Canadians who are facing the daunting process of trying to help family members come to Canada feeling misunderstood
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“Maybe they are afraid of us?”
That’s what Saadiya Joha has been wondering since the Canadian government announced that temporary residency applications for family members of Palestinian-Canadians would be capped at 1,000.
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It’s hard for Joha to understand why so few places will be made for Palestinians trapped in Gaza.
Canada has been good to her family.
The 50-year-old seamstress is a mother-of-five. Two of her kids were born in Canada after she and her family came as Palestinian refugees from Syria in 1999. One of her children is a commercial pilot.
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“He did that here,” she says with pride.
Now she is trying to save as many of her family as she can — some of whom, she fears, may already be dead.
Since the Israeli offensive, she has lost over 100 extended family members, including a cousin and their family.
She has applied for temporary residency for her elderly parents, her sisters Samah, Qamar, Mona, Naela and Nsreen, their husbands and children, her brother Mohammed, his family — 30 in total.
Most have lost their homes in the bombardment, and are living in tents, near the Rafah border.
Her sister Naela was sheltering with her children in a school.
“I don’t know if she is alive,” says Saadiya.
Canada has 30,000 residents of Palestinian origin.
Last week a spokesperson for federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that 144 temporary visa applications have been approved. Each applicant must go through a multi-level process, and provide details including social-media accounts, scars on their bodies and every passport they have ever held.
“These are very arduous requirements that are nearly impossible to provide, but from the point of view of the government, it’s necessary,” said Antje Ellermann, professor of political science and director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of B.C.
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Ellermann understands the sensitivity that the Palestinian-Canadian community is feeling.
“It’s a racialized community. The Canadian government historically has taken a pro-Israel stance to conflicts in the Middle East, and members of the Palestinian community have not felt understood by the Canadian government.”
While the number of settlement slots allowed for Palestinians fleeing Gaza is less than other refugee resettlement efforts in recent years, each situation is unique, said Ellermann.
In 2015-16 about 40,000 Syrians came to Canada as refugees in response to the humanitarian crisis under President Bashar Assad. That effort enjoyed broad public support as the refugee crisis unfolded in Europe. Canada was seen as leading the way.
“We were the good guys, we provided a haven, and that increased Canada’s standing internationally,” said Ellermann.
After the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, Canada took in about 45,000 Afghan refugees.
“With Ukraine, Canada was very quick to approve nearly one million applications and just over 200,000 have arrived,” said Ellermann.
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The situation on the ground in Gaza makes it somewhat more problematic for Canada to process refugees, said Ellermann. Canada can’t enter a war zone, and Gazans can’t go into a safe third country where security screenings could be done. The burden is left to individuals who are in crisis.
“That is really daunting,” said Ellermann.
Ukrainian refugees were able to cross into Germany and Poland, but Egypt has blocked Gazans from entering their country, citing security concerns.
Ellermann said the vast majority of Palestinians don’t pose any security risk, but Canada lists Hamas as a terrorist organization.
“You don’t want active fighters for Hamas entering Canada through this program. The repercussions would be significant.”
Ellermann said Canada may well increase its resettlement commitment over time.
“Canada was slow to start with Afghanistan, but increased the numbers.”
Meanwhile, local Palestinians are rallying to help, said Azim Dahya, CEO of Surrey’s Muslim Foodbank: “Community members have come forward. There are a lot of challenges, but we are getting ready anyway.”
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“Palestinians are very good people,” said Joha. “I just want Canadians to give them a chance.”
dryan@postmedia.com
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