Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

Immigration department says 144 Gazans on track to come to Canada, pending biometrics

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Jan, 2024 01:37 PM
  • Immigration department says 144 Gazans on track to come to Canada, pending biometrics

Ottawa has 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. 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada opened a program to offer temporary visas to as many as 1,000 people in the besieged Palestinian territory, if their relatives can support them in Canada. 

But Immigration Minister Marc Miller has warned that the federal government cannot guarantee people will be able to cross the border out of Gaza, which is tightly controlled by Israel and Egypt. 

The 144 people who have made it through most of the application process as of Tuesday will still need to undergo further screening in Egypt, including biometrics, before they will be granted a visa.

The Immigration Department began accepting applications on Jan. 9, but hasn't yet said how many it has received so far. 

The department says the time it takes to process an application varies from person to person depending on the information they provide. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Woman dies in crash next to Zoo: Langley RCMP

Woman dies in crash next to Zoo: Langley RCMP
Mounties in Langley are asking for the public’s help with dashcam footage after a woman died after a crash next to the Greater Vancouver Zoo.  R-C-M-P say the initial investigation suggests a driver of a pickup truck stopped in the northbound lane of a street, waiting to turn left.   

Woman dies in crash next to Zoo: Langley RCMP

Key legal document leaked online

Key legal document leaked online
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General says it is launching an investigation into how a sensitive law enforcement document was leaked on social media. A statement from the ministry says Abbotsford police and the province’s anti-gang agency have become aware of a sensitive law enforcement intelligence document being put on a social media site last month. 

Key legal document leaked online

Amanda Todd's mom urges more jail time for tormentor, as Dutch court mulls sentence

Amanda Todd's mom urges more jail time for tormentor, as Dutch court mulls sentence
The mother of B.C. teenager Amanda Todd, who was bullied into suicide by a Dutch national, says she'll be "so angry" if a court in Amsterdam doesn't give him significant extra jail time on the basis of his Canadian conviction last year. Judges at the Amsterdam District Court said earlier today they would rule in two weeks on the conversion of the 13-year sentence for Aydin Coban, who was convicted of the extortion and harassment of Amanda.

Amanda Todd's mom urges more jail time for tormentor, as Dutch court mulls sentence

Joly condemns Hamas rapes of Israeli women after weeks of pressure

Joly condemns Hamas rapes of Israeli women after weeks of pressure
In Israel, women's organizations have been calling on the international community to speak out, and the government has recently criticized foreign governments for not doing so. Yet police in Israel are still investigating what happened two months ago, after officials prioritized identifying bodies instead of preserving evidence, according to The Associated Press.

Joly condemns Hamas rapes of Israeli women after weeks of pressure

Financial intelligence agency levies $1.3 million penalty against CIBC

Financial intelligence agency levies $1.3 million penalty against CIBC
Canada's financial intelligence agency says it has levied a $1.3-million penalty against CIBC for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures. The penalty is the second the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada has announced this week after RBC's $7.4-million fine was publicized on Tuesday.

Financial intelligence agency levies $1.3 million penalty against CIBC

Cyberactivity targeting elections on rise, says report from Canada's e-spy service

Cyberactivity targeting elections on rise, says report from Canada's e-spy service
A new federal report says cyberthreat activity targeting elections is increasing worldwide, and is now more likely to be seen in Canada's next federal ballot. The report by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security found that in 2022 slightly over one-quarter of all national elections globally had at least one reported cyberincident.

Cyberactivity targeting elections on rise, says report from Canada's e-spy service