OTTAWA — NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan says the government needs to do more to get people out of Gaza who applied for temporary visas through an extended family reunification program.

The program stopped accepting visa application on March 6, 2025, when the 5,000-applicant cap was reached, and as of Aug. 1 about 860 people have arrived in Canada under the program.

Kwan, who held a press conference today in the foyer of the House of Commons alongside Palestinians whose family members are stuck in Gaza, says the government can find other ways to gather the necessary biometric data in war zones.

The government collects biometric data, such as fingerprints and photographs, to conduct security screening on refugees applying to come to Canada.

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has said there is no way to collect biometrics in Gaza right now, and Israel and Egypt decide who is let out of the territory.

Kwan says that other countries, including France and Belgium, have been able to secure passage for Palestinians out of Gaza and the Canadian government hasn’t hired non-governmental organizations on the ground to help facilitate exits.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press