Ottawa has so far received 144 completed visa applications from people in the Gaza Strip who wish to be reunited with extended family members in Canada.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada opened a program to offer temporary visas to people in the besieged Palestinian territory, if their relatives can support them in Canada.
The department's policy says it will only look at 1,000 applications, though Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said the department may be flexible.
A spokesperson in Miller's official initially told The Canadian Press that 144 people in Gaza were on track to receive the visa as of Tuesday, as long as they can make it across the border for biometric screening and final approval.
The department later clarified that the process of combing through the contents of the completed applications was just beginning.
The Immigration Department opened the multi-step application process on Jan. 9, but hasn't yet said how many initial applications it has received so far.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press
Note to readers: A previous version of this story, based on information provided by a spokesperson for the immigration minister, said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada processed visa applications for 144 people in the Gaza Strip, putting them on track to be reunited with extended family members in Canada — as long as they can make it across the border for biometric screening and final approval. The department later clarified that 144 applications had been accepted for processing.
