Ottawa Increases Cap on Temporary Resident Visas for Palestinians

Ottawa is setting a new 5,000-person cap on temporary resident visas for Palestinians looking to escape the Gaza Strip—a five-fold increase from the 1,000 visas allotted under a new program announced in January. The move follows “positive signals” that Israel will approve a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before its military further invades the town of Rafah, Immigration Minister Marc Miller says. “Canada continues to put forward the names of applicants who passed our preliminary screening to local authorities,” Mr. Miller told the House immigration committee this week. “Israel and Egypt are both important partners in the implementation of these temporary humanitarian measures. We are working in close collaboration with both governments to facilitate the exit of extended family members and advocate for their safety.”...