Question Period Note: GOVERNMENT OF CANADA’S RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The Government of Canada established a temporary protection pathway to allow foreign nationals in Gaza who are related to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to come to Canada on a temporary basis.

o Canada remains deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East and empathizes with those affected.
o IRCC has put measures in place to accept up to 5,000 applications into processing for those affected by the conflict in Gaza. In particular, these measures aim to provide a temporary safe haven for Palestinians directly affected by the crisis in Gaza who have Canadian citizen or permanent resident family members in Canada willing to support them.
o In addition Palestinians impacted by the crisis who have left Gaza will also receive transitional financial assistance after they arrive in Canada. This support will help them cover basic needs - such as food, clothing, and housing - as they arrive in communities across Canada and find jobs. More details about this program will be shared when available.
o Temporary measures are also in place for eligible Israeli and Palestinian nationals who would like to extend their stay in Canada.

o If pressed:
o In addition to financial assistance, Gazans fleeing the conflict will have access to the following supports in Canada:
o three months of temporary health coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program to help address urgent medical needs upon arrival
o settlement services such as language training, information about and orientation to life in Canada (such as help enrolling children in school or opening a bank account), and information and services to help them find a job
o the ability to apply for fee-exempt study or open work permits from within Canada

o There have been no departures from Gaza through the Rafah crossing since May 7, 2024. Canada continues to advocate with countries in the region to facilitate the departure of extended family members from Gaza.
o The Government of Canada, in collaboration with our partners, is closely monitoring the situation in Lebanon and Israel and will tailor our response as needed.

If pressed on when the IFHP and financial assistance will be available to eligible clients:
• Palestinians impacted by the crisis who have left Gaza will receive three months of temporary health coverage and access to settlement services upon arrival.
• More details about the financial assistance program will be shared once available.

If pressed on how many individuals have been issued visas under the extended family public policy for Gaza?
o IRCC continues to review web form submissions and issue codes.
o As of Dec. 7, 2024, 926 people who exited Gaza on their own and had TRV applications in process were able to submit biometrics and complete their application, and have been approved to come to Canada. As of Dec. 7, 2024, 498 people have arrived in Canada under the temporary public policy.
o In addition to applications approved through the temporary measures, Palestinians and those impacted by the conflict who left Gaza on or after October 7, 2023, have been able to use IRCC’s existing programs. As of Dec. 7, 2024, at least 455 people who fled Gaza and have approved temporary resident visas or temporary resident permits may also be eligible for supports once they arrive in Canada.

If pressed on departures from Gaza:
o Canada continues to put forward names of people who passed preliminary eligibility and admissibility reviews to local authorities for approval, but does not ultimately decide who can exit Gaza.
o Canada will continue working closely with local authorities—at every level—to facilitate the exit of extended family members and to advocate for their safety. Canada is ready to receive applicants in Cairo once the border reopens.

• In October 2023, IRCC supported a GAC-led consular operation which enabled the assisted departures of over 2,500 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members out of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza (via Rafah).
• Should the conflict intensify in Israel, Canada may activate a secondary assisted departure out of Israel and the West Bank.
Public Policies and Facilitative Measures:
• On December 21, 2023, IRCC announced temporary immigration measures to support family members of Canadians and permanent residents of Canada residing in Gaza. The public policy launched on January 9, 2024 and the cap was increased from 1,000 to 5,000 TRV applications. It will expire after 5,000 TRV applications are accepted for processing, or on April 22, 2025.
• As of Dec. 7, 2024, IRCC has accepted 4,596 applications into processing for the public policy, meaning that applicants have used their unique reference code to submit a complete application through the IRCC Portal. These TRV applications are being reviewed to determine eligibility and preliminary admissibility. To continue to be as facilitative as possible, IRCC established fee waivers for those who need to extend their temporary resident status in Canada for up to 3 years.
• IRCC is also providing a way for existing TRV and Super visa holders to identify themselves and request help in obtaining approval to exit from Gaza. If they have a valid TRV and agree to the Government of Canada sharing their information with the governments of Israel and Egypt, we can provide their name to local authorities for approval to exit Gaza for when the Rafah border crossing is open again.
Movement out of Gaza and security screening:
• To support the movement of Palestinians out of Gaza and to protect the health and safety of Canadians, a multi-stage security screening approach has been developed. This is part of a standard practice in crisis response situations where IRCC does not have a presence on the ground to initiate initial screening and collection of biometrics, as we did with Afghanistan. By using the enhanced biographic information applicants provide, we are able to conduct preliminary security screening while people are still in Gaza.
Resettlement from Gaza / Palestinian Territories:
• Canada has a long and proud humanitarian tradition of protecting the world’s most vulnerable people. In general, we rely on the United Nations Refugees Agency (UNHCR), other referral organizations and private sponsorship groups for referrals of refugees who need to be resettled. Individuals presenting vulnerabilities and compelling protection needs in the country of asylum are prioritized. Each application is considered on a case-by-case basis. Under our laws, we screen all resettlement cases, including in relation to security, criminality and health.
• Refugee resettlement is generally considered as a last-resort, when no other durable solution is available to individuals with protection needs who have left their country, cannot safely return home, and require permanent resettlement to a third country because they are unable to remain in the country where they currently reside. Resettling Palestinians out of the Middle East region comes with sensitivities with partners and other states in the region based on the real or perceived impact on Palestinian right to return.

Additional protection measures for habitual residents of the West Bank and Gaza who are already in Canada:
Pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) and Israel:
• For those individuals already in Canada, on December 22, 2023, IRCC implemented an exemption for people from Gaza and the West Bank who may have been previously barred from applying for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) because of a ban on applying for a PRRA within the 12-month period following a final negative decision.
• Those who received a negative final decision before December 23, 2022 are already eligible for a PRRA, since the 12-month bar has expired for them. All individuals who receive their final negative decision after December 22, 2023 do not need this extra protection tool, since decision makers will be aware of the new situation in the West Bank and Gaza when adjudicating their claims.
• An exemption to the one-year bar can be implemented when there is a sudden and significant change in country conditions that may result in a well-founded fear of persecution or a danger of torture, risk to life, or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. A positive decision on PRRA may result in protected person status in Canada.
• Currently, an Administrative Deferral of Removal (ADR) is in place for habitual residents of Gaza.

On the role of anchors:

• Successful applicants who arrive in Canada will be supported by their Canadian citizen or permanent resident anchors. These family members signed a statutory declaration of their intent to provide a number of supports for their family members for one year.

On eligibility for the temporary resident pathway:
• To be eligible for the temporary resident pathway, applicants must be the spouse, common-law partner, child (regardless of age), grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident anchor.
• They must also be in Gaza when they applied for the program (submitted a web form), hold a passport or travel document issued by Palestinian authority, and have an anchor in Canada who will support them for one year once they arrive in Canada.
• To help as many people as possible, Canada is taking into account the special circumstances of people, whether they have submitted a regular TRV application or one associated with the Temporary public policy to facilitate temporary resident visas for certain extended family affected by the crisis in Gaza when processing applications.
• Once applicants have left Gaza and arrive in Cairo, the Government of Canada will collect the applicant’s biometric information to complete the final step in the assessment process and work to provide a final decision on the temporary resident visa application as quickly as possible.