Canada Sued Over Delays in Gaza Visa Program for Families in Crisis

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Key Takeaways

• Eleven Gazan families (53 individuals) filed a lawsuit against Canada for visa delays, citing inability to escape ongoing violence.
• Canada’s Palestine Extended Family Program expanded from 1,000 to 5,000 applicants but faces criticism for slow processing and access barriers.
• Program ends April 22, 2025, with over 4,782 applications processed but only 616 arrivals; the lawsuit seeks quicker processing.

Canada is now facing legal action over delays in its Gaza visa programme, with eleven families from Gaza challenging the government in court. They argue that slow visa processing prevents their escape from ongoing violence in the region. This lawsuit, initially reported by the Toronto Star, underscores concerns about the execution of Canada’s Palestine Extended Family Program and its ability to assist Palestinians impacted by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Palestine Extended Family Program, which began on January 9, 2024, provides a temporary route for Gazans to reunite with their family members in Canada. Under this program, Canadian citizens or permanent residents can sponsor relatives, as long as they agree to provide financial and settlement support upon their arrival. Initially, the program set a cap of 1,000 applicants, but public advocacy efforts led the government to expand it to 5,000 applicants on May 27, 2024. This expansion, while welcomed, has not been enough to avoid criticism about its pace and structure.

Canada Sued Over Delays in Gaza Visa Program for Families in Crisis

At the heart of the lawsuit lies the frustration of eleven families—53 individuals, including children—who say they have done all that the process requires but are still waiting for their application codes. Without these codes, they cannot formally begin their visa applications. Their legal petition seeks a court order to push Canadian immigration officials to address these delays and complete the processing of their requests within five days. These families hope that this legal move will pave the way for their safety and an escape from the violence in Gaza.

Statistics from the program raise significant concerns about its implementation. As of January 4, 2025, 4,782 applications had entered processing. However, only 1,014 people exiting Gaza had submitted biometric data and completed their visa applications. Of this group, just 616 individuals had reached Canada under what is a temporary three-year policy. This means that, despite initial optimism, the program has yet to achieve widespread success in bringing people to safety. With the initiative set to end on April 22, 2025—or as soon as the 5,000-application limit is reached—the urgency surrounding pending applications continues to grow. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website itself stated by February 20, 2025, that the program was “Almost full.”

The delays and lack of transparency have only worsened the situation for applicants. Damey Lee, who serves as legal counsel for some of the families involved in the lawsuit, has criticized Canadian officials for failing to offer applicants any clarity. According to Lee, “They are just frustrated and wholly disappointed in the Canadian government for not even providing them an explanation as to where their family members are in the process and why it has taken a year to issue codes.”

The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) has also voiced strong concerns about the Gaza visa programme. On February 6, 2024, the CCR submitted an open letter to Immigration Minister Marc Miller, outlining various issues with the process. These included what the council described as excessive personal information requirements, stringent financial commitments for Canadian sponsors, and insufficient guarantees for the privacy of applicants. These issues, the CCR argued, create obstacles that undermine the program’s goal of swiftly bringing relatives to safety.

One specific point of contention has been the financial demand placed on sponsoring Canadian families. Sponsors must sign a sworn statement confirming their ability to financially support the incoming relatives for a year. While newcomers are granted temporary benefits such as three months of medical coverage via the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), along with settlement services and a fee-free work or study permit, most of the financial burden lies with their Canadian family. For some, this requirement has made participation in the program unfeasible.

Efforts to mitigate financial strain for those who manage to arrive were announced on January 16, 2025, by Immigration Minister Marc Miller. Under this new policy, Gazans entering through the temporary resident visa pathway were made eligible for transitional financial assistance. Adults can receive a one-time payment of $3,000, while children qualify for $1,500. This money is meant to help with basic needs like food, clothing, and housing. However, critics argue that these measures fall short of providing long-term support for impacted families.

Adding fuel to the debate are comparisons with Canada’s much larger and faster response to the Ukraine crisis. The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program, introduced in 2022, processed over 900,000 applications from a total of 1.1 million and welcomed close to 300,000 Ukrainian refugees into Canada. By comparison, the strict requirements and 5,000-applicant limit of the Gaza initiative have led to accusations that Canada is not doing enough for Palestinian families.

Civil society organizations have also made their dissatisfaction clear. In November 2024, more than 40 of these organizations co-signed an open letter demanding significant changes to the Gaza visa programme. Their requests included removing biometric submission and medical test requirements for applicants, allowing applicants with incomplete travel documents to receive single-entry permits, and abolishing the cap on accepted applicants entirely. The letter also pushed the government to pressure Israel 🇮🇱 and Egypt 🇪🇬 to ensure Palestinians can safely leave Gaza.

The criticisms extend beyond administrative inefficiencies to what some see as a moral failing on Canada’s part. The civil society groups argue that Canada has a responsibility to support Palestinians suffering from war and displacement. They also point out inconsistencies between Canada’s public commitments to international humanitarian values and the restrictive measures embedded in this programme.

As these pressures mount, the Canadian government faces a complex set of challenges. It must balance the need for security, administrative feasibility, and moral obligations to provide refuge for victims of war. The lawsuit filed by the Gazan families highlights how delays and communication gaps can escalate into legal and political disputes. Meanwhile, the response to public criticism could determine whether this program is seen as a success or a missed opportunity.

For applicants and their families, time is running out. With less than two months until the program deadline, those caught in bureaucratic limbo may not find relief soon enough. The lawsuit, if successful, could prompt the government to speed up the process. But regardless of its outcome, this legal case raises broader questions about Canada’s approach to humanitarian crises and its responsiveness in moments of international distress.

For more information on Canada’s immigration programs, readers can consult official resources at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Meanwhile, VisaVerge.com has noted Canada’s longstanding challenges with balancing administrative constraints and humanitarian commitments in managing refugee crises. As this story unfolds, the outcomes will likely impact the way Canada is perceived regarding global resettlement efforts.

Learn Today

Palestine Extended Family Program → A Canadian initiative allowing Gazans to reunite with family in Canada under temporary sponsorship and financial obligations.
Biometric Data → Unique physical or behavioral characteristics, such as fingerprints, used to verify an individual’s identity for visa processing.
Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) → A Canadian program providing temporary health coverage for certain refugees and migrants during their initial resettlement period.
Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) → A program introduced to facilitate rapid immigration of Ukrainians to Canada during the Ukraine crisis.
Transitional Financial Assistance → A one-time monetary payment provided to newly arrived immigrants to help cover initial settlement needs like food and housing.

This Article in a Nutshell

Canada’s Gaza visa delays spark legal action from eleven families seeking escape from violence. Despite expansion to 5,000 applicants, only 616 have arrived. Frustrations mount over bureaucratic hurdles and slow processing. Critics argue Canada’s response contrasts starkly with its swift aid to Ukrainians, raising questions about equity in humanitarian programs.
— By VisaVerge.com