CIMM – Exit permission from Gaza – May 27, 2024

Key Facts

• All clients in Gaza must leave Gaza at the Rafah crossing into Egypt for processing to continue. Local authorities, including the governments of Israel and Egypt, are responsible for granting exit permission.
• Once applicants have left Gaza, the Government of Canada will provide two nights’ accommodation and meals in Cairo. If families need to stay longer than two days, they must cover the additional costs and ensure the validity of their Egyptian visa.
• The Rafah Border has been closed since May 7. At this time there are no crossings into Egypt, however Canada is ready to receive applicants in Cairo once the border reopens.

Key Messages

• The governments of Egypt and Israel have established an official exit process from Gaza, which the Government of Canada must honor. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to facilitate the secure exit of our clients.
• As part of this process, we have put forward names of people who passed preliminary eligibility and admissibility reviews to local authorities for approval, but do not ultimately decide who can exit Gaza.
• Israel has agreed to Canada’s request to facilitate the exit of extended family members in Gaza as part of their expanding humanitarian efforts.
• We continue to engage with partners in the region to facilitate exit for individuals falling under our consular operation as well as applicants under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) public policy.

Supplementary Information

If pressed on getting people out of Gaza:

• The Government continues to engage in diplomatic efforts to facilitate exit for individuals falling under our consular operation and applicants under IRCC’s public policy.

If pressed on individuals who left Gaza and entered Egypt before Canada’s program opened:

• Those who have been able to exit Gaza who do not have a pending application or have been unable to apply under the Temporary Resident Pathway for certain extended families affected by the crisis in Gaza may apply through any of our existing immigration programs. IRCC will process these applications.

If pressed on the use of unofficial means for exits out of Gaza (e.g. companies like Hala):

• IRCC is aware of instances of people exiting Gaza on their own. However, Canada cannot use nor condone the use of unofficial means to leave Gaza. If applicants under the Temporary Public Policy are successful in leaving, they should advise the Canadian Embassy in Cairo as soon as possible.
• The Government of Canada has put forward names of people who passed preliminary eligibility and admissibility assessments to local authorities for approval, but does not ultimately decide who can exit Gaza.

If pressed on individuals with pending applications who exited Gaza on their own and are now in Egypt:

• If individuals who have a pending visa application as part of the special measures exit Gaza on their own, we will continue to process their application. Once in Egypt, we will collect their biometrics and finalize their TRV application.

If pressed on documentation for Palestinians exiting Gaza:

• The Canadian Mission in Cairo has conducted interviews with clients who left under assisted departures in order to confirm their identities.
• We request identity documents from all clients and, to date, have been able to obtain such documents (e.g., in the form of Palestinian ID cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, family registration documents, school documents).
• Redacted.

If pressed on individuals in Gaza with valid Supervisas or TRVs outside the public policy (e.g., open work or study permits):

• If clients with a valid TRV or Supervisa are in Gaza and need assistance leaving, they may self-identify via our crisis webform. In the webform, individuals must include their unique client identifier (UCI) number, TRV document number, phone number, whether their travel document or identify documents have been damaged, and a notice of consent to disclose personal information document.
• IRCC will validate their information to confirm the status of their TRV or Supervisa. Once the status of their TRV has been validated, we will forward their name to local authorities to facilitate their exit from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing once the border reopens.
• The Government of Canada does not decide who can leave Gaza and cannot guarantee that these clients will be authorized to cross the Rafah border.