Eleven families from Gaza have initiated legal action against the Canadian government, alleging undue delays in the issuance of temporary visas designed to provide relief from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. 

The lawsuit, reported by the Toronto Star, contends that despite adhering to all procedural requirements, these families—comprising 53 individuals, including children—have not received the necessary application codes to commence the visa process.

The Palestine Extended Family Program, launched in January 2024, offers a pathway for Gazans with Canadian relatives to escape the hostilities. Under this initiative, Canadian citizens or permanent residents can sponsor their family members, provided they commit to supporting them upon arrival in Canada.

The program is slated to conclude on April 22 or upon reaching 5,000 applications. As of January 4, 4,782 applications had been accepted, yet these eleven families remain unprocessed.

Represented by lawyers Damey Lee, Hana Marku, and Debbie Rachlis, the families express profound frustration over the lack of communication and transparency from immigration authorities. 

"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," Lee stated.

The legal action seeks a court mandate compelling Canadian immigration officials to process the pending applications within five days, aiming to secure safe passage for their relatives from the conflict-stricken region.

Canada is under no obligation to accept anyone, let alone at the speed they demand. Immigration is a privilege, not a right. But now, thanks to years of Liberal pandering and open-border rhetoric, we have foreign nationals who think they can drag Canada into court for not rolling out the red carpet fast enough.

The Liberals invited this mess by bending over backward to create special pathways for certain groups, only to be met with lawsuits when it turns out the system, broken by the Liberals, can’t process applications fast enough. 

No one has a right to be a refugee in Canada, and the idea that foreign nationals can sue for the privilege is proof that our system is broken. It’s time for Canada to reassert control over its borders, before this spiral gets even worse.

PETITION: No Gaza Refugees!

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Goal: 40,000 signatures

Public opinion polling of Gazans show that a majority of them support Hamas's brutal October 7 rape-and-murder massacre against Israeli civilians. Please sign our petition opposing the Liberals' move to resettle them right here in Canada.

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