Reem Alyazouri’s escape from a bombarded Gaza City through Egypt ended in Toronto on September 4.
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But as she and her family wrestle with applications for work permits and health insurance, her mother and father remain stuck in Cairo waiting for Canadian visas after fleeing Israel’s war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza seven months ago.
“My mind is busy with my parents,” she said. “I feel guilty, believe me. When I came here and I left them behind they told us, ‘Go and start your life … Don’t worry about us.’”
The family is trying to come to Canada through a temporary residence programme for Gazans with relatives here. Alyazouri’s brother, Hani Abushomar, a Canadian citizen, applied for six of his family members to join him in Canada hours after the programme was launched in January.
Nine months and a harrowing exit from Gaza later, his mother and father remain stranded in Cairo. They completed the last major step of the visa application process – submitting biometric information – six months ago.
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They are among thousands of Palestinians waiting for visas from Canada, a country that prides itself on welcoming people from around the world.