(Ottawa) There are approximately 750 Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their eligible family members, who want to leave the Gaza Strip (386) or have already done so (367). This is significantly more than the figures previously reported by the federal government.
Their number has increased significantly in recent days, according to information from Global Affairs Canada.
From 200 Canadians, permanent residents and their family members in Gaza with whom the Department said it was in contact on November 12, it increased to 386 as of November 15.
They are “requesting assistance and various information, including, but not limited to, assistance with assisted departures,” it was reported to The PressThursday morning.
The number 386 disappeared from the daily report sent by the Ministry a few hours later.
It is still valid, said Emily Williams, director of communications for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.
Two factors contributed to this increase, she explained.
“First, as the crisis continues and the humanitarian situation deteriorates, more Canadians have decided they want to leave,” said Ms.me Williams.
“The other thing is that Canadians saw that others were able to cross the border, which encouraged them to want to do the same,” she continued.
If the Ministry ignored this information on Thursday, it nevertheless clarified what the eligibility criteria were for Canadian assistance.
Eligible non-Canadian family members include “spouses or common-law partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and their dependent children under the age of 22.”
In addition, AMC says it facilitates “the immediate reunification of eligible family members who are not accompanied by a Canadian or permanent resident in Gaza.”
About half of Canadians evacuated
The Canadian government had previously estimated the number of Canadians, citizens and permanent residents and members of their families to be evacuated from the enclave at 450, then at 550.
So far, 367 of them – almost half of those Ottawa is helping – have crossed into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, where access fluctuates from day to day.
And the situation is not getting better, AMC warned.
“Main telecommunications services in the Gaza Strip stopped working following exhaustion this morning [jeudi] energy sources supplying the network,” the Ministry wrote.
Canada does not determine when and how many people can cross on a daily basis and must deal with instability at the border.
Once arriving in Egypt, Canadians and their loved ones have 72 hours to leave the territory, under the agreement concluded between Ottawa and Cairo.