Canada grants temporary residence to relatives of Canadian citizens in Gaza

The Canadian Government announced this Thursday that it will grant temporary residence in the country to relatives of Canadian citizens who are in the country. Gaza Strip although he acknowledged that he cannot guarantee that those benefiting from the measure will be able to leave the territory at this time.

Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the decision at a press conference in which he noted that it will apply to partners, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada.

Miller justified the measure because the siege to which Israel has subjected the enclave since the Hamas attacks on October 7 has made “uninhabitable” the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli offensive has killed more than 20,000 people, mostly women and children.

But the Canadian minister acknowledged that he cannot guarantee that the beneficiaries of the measure will be able to leave the Gaza Strip since it is Israel and Egypt that decide which people leave the territory.

“Whether they can leave or not will not depend on Canada but we will strive to achieve it,” andMiller explained.

Also this Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the media that Canada does not want Hamas to have any role in the government of the Gaza Strip and conditioned a ceasefire on the organization giving up its weapons and releasing to all the hostages in his possession.

Trudeau added that Canada is working closely with countries in the region to move toward a two-state solution.

Furthermore, in an interview with Canadian public broadcaster CBC, Trudeau stated that Israel’s allies are concerned that the military tactics the country uses in the Gaza Strip “They are putting at risk long-term security and even support for the Jewish State in the future.”

Canada, one of Israel’s main international allies and which for weeks limited itself to supporting “humanitarian pauses” in the Israeli offensive, changed its position on December 12 and voted at the UN in favor of a ceasefire.