Why Invite Palestinians When You Don’t Want Them to Come, Canada?
To fully understand the current impasse, it is essential to grasp the background of the situation.
Context & Timeline: In January 2024, the Canadian government initiated a special visa program for Palestinians escaping the Israeli bombardment of Gaza to come to Canada. Under this program, Palestinians fleeing Gaza were promised a temporary three-year residency visa.
In February 2024, 53 Palestinian families with relatives in Canada sued the Canadian government for failing to provide the necessary codes and information needed to apply for a Canadian visa, which had been promised to them by the relevant immigration authorities.
Hana Markou, the Toronto-based immigration lawyer representing the families, stated that as of January 28, of the 4,873 applications accepted for processing, only 1,093 people were approved to come to Canada independently. The worry intensified as the program was scheduled to close by April 22.
Markou’s legal team pushed for swift court action before the deadline, calling the situation “cruel” for applicants left in limbo. “There’s no rhyme or reason to how the codes are being rolled out, and the lack of transparency is emotional torture,” she told a news portal.
She emphasized that Canada had failed to clarify why some Palestinian families received codes to apply while others did not. According to the lawsuit, the delays exposed families in Gaza to “life-threatening and inhumane conditions.”
More than a year after the program opened, in March 2025, each of Markou’s clients received a short email from the Canadian government informing them that the program had “reached its cap and had closed,” meaning none could complete their applications. This was despite all her clients applying within a month of the program’s opening, as Markou confirmed that none received the necessary codes to move forward.
By August 2025, the situation had remained unchanged, with no progress made. Markou noted that every day was a fight for survival for her clients; one narrowly escaped death from a bomb while carrying flour, while others witnessed loved ones crushed by collapsing buildings. “These families followed the rules. The government of Canada didn’t,” she asserted.
Markou is now asking the Federal Court to declare Ottawa’s inaction unlawful and unfair, seeking to have her clients’ files reopened. Her plea is not only legal but also humanitarian. She stated, “An infant whose bones I can count from a photo should not be told her case is ‘moot,’” referencing a letter from Immigration Department lawyers that described the situation in Gaza as difficult but ultimately “futile and moot.”
Compounding this distressing circumstance is Canada’s public endorsement of a UN finding that severe famine is unfolding in Gaza, while failing to acknowledge that its actions—or lack thereof—amount to a virtual death sentence for Palestinians living in terror every day.
*****
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
