Canada expedites visas for Palestinian students stranded abroad
37 Gazan students and families get fast-tracked processing after years-long advocacy campaign.
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Canada is expediting visa processing for 37 Palestinian students and their families who have been stranded in third countries, following sustained advocacy from Canadian academics.
About 130 Palestinian students who have been accepted at Canadian universities remain stuck abroad — many of them in Gaza, where Israel controls entries and exits. Some have been waiting upwards of two years for visa decisions.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab's office said most of the 37 students now receiving expedited processing have received final decisions. The remaining visa interviews are scheduled for this week. Diab did not specify how many have been approved versus denied.
During a House of Commons committee meeting May 28, NDP MP Jenny Kwan asked whether Canada would make special exemptions for these students, citing examples from European countries. Diab responded that department officials have been instructed to speed up visa processing for people in Gaza, though time constraints cut short her full response.
Diab's spokesperson stated that safety remains the "top priority" and all visa applicants must complete necessary security and admissibility checks. The expedited process represents a partial response to months of pressure from Canadian academic institutions and advocacy groups arguing that the delay has left qualified students in dangerous or uncertain situations.