Why Palestinian families are suing the Canadian government
What's the story
Palestinian families in Canada have sued the Canadian government for alleged inefficiencies in a special visa program.
The program, initiated in January 2024, is intended to assist Palestinians in fleeing the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The lawsuit represents 53 Palestinians with relatives in Canada.
Hana Marku, a Toronto-based lawyer representing the families, said her clients showed interest early on but haven't received required reference codes for their visa applications.
Program criticism
Visa program criticized for confusion and invasiveness
The Canadian visa program allows citizens and permanent residents to bring extended family members from Gaza for temporary residency of up to three years.
However, it has been slammed by families and lawyers as confusing and invasive.
As of January 28, of 4,873 applications accepted for processing, only 1,093 people were approved to come to Canada independently.
The program will close after processing 5,000 applications or by April 22.
Legal action
'No rhyme, reason to how codes are being rolled out'
Marku's legal team is now pushing for quick court action before the program shuts down.
She called leaving applicants in limbo "cruel," intensifying their legal battle against the Canadian government.
"There's no rhyme or reason to how the codes are being rolled out, and the fact that there's no transparency here is—it's emotional torture, frankly," Marku told Al Jazeera.
Conflict aftermath
Gaza conflict leaves region in humanitarian crisis
They also said that Canada failed to clarify why some Palestinian families received codes to apply while others didn't.
According to the lawsuit, the protracted delay has exposed their Gaza-based family to "life-threatening and inhumane conditions."
If approved, applicants would be granted temporary residency for a maximum of three years.
A spokesman for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada told Al Jazeera that it was assessing a "large volume" of first-stage applicants and that processing periods varied depending on the situation.