Edmonton boy growing up without father because of bureaucratic challenges in Gaza

Edmonton boy growing up without father because of bureaucratic challenges in Gaza

Father among people in Gaza unable to access fingerprinting services needed for immigration, non-profit says

A 10-year-old Edmonton boy is determined to get his father out of war-torn Gaza.

Rashid Abusalim has pleaded his dad’s case at his local member of Parliament’s office and his mom had to talk him out of going on a hunger strike.

The boy saves awards, letters and other souvenirs piling up in a box for the day he can finally show his dad, Saed Abusalim.

For now, their only point of contact is a video call whenever his dad can find a Wi-Fi connection amid the chaos of conflict.

“I am actually really sad about that because I am losing my best memories with him,” Rashid said in an interview with CBC News on Thursday, lamenting missed birthday parties, taekwondo belts and father-son matches on PlayStation.

“There's only one me in this universe and he's losing that time all because of a flipping border."

Palestinian students accepted into Canadian universities remain ‘trapped’ in Gaza by visa delays

Rashid was two when his parents decided to move from Palestine to Canada.

He and his mom, Saloumi Abusalim, applied for refugee status while visiting family in Alberta and eventually became Canadian citizens.

Saed planned to apply for Canadian permanent residency from Palestine, figuring his family would be reunited soon enough.

Instead came the first of many roadblocks: the COVID-19 pandemic. When immigration channels finally reopened, Saed applied for permanent residency and a special temporary resident visa (TRV) Canada had made available for extended family members in Gaza.

Saed arranged travel to Egypt to fulfil his final requirement to apply to gain entry to Canada: a biometric screening. But on Oct. 7, 2023, just days before it was scheduled, Hamas-led attacks sparked the Israel-Hamas war.

In total, Saed has tried to cross into Egypt five times but was turned back on each attempt, his wife said.

“I'm living in heaven, he's living — literally — in hell, starving,” Saloumi told CBC News earlier this week. “If he has any medical situation, he's on the edge of dying because there is no medication over there.

“Everything for him is on the edge all the time.”

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In front of her son, Saloumi stays upbeat and hopeful, until she can cry it all out after tucking him in. Explanations meant to comfort Rashid are wearing thin.

“[My husband and I] told him, 'Allah put you in this difficult situation to test you,'” she said.

“He said, ‘Mom, why does Allah keep testing me? I'm just a kid.’”

Happier times when the Abusalim family were together in Palestine. (Submitted by Saloumi Abusalim)

In an email to CBC News, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) acknowledged meeting the biometrics requirement is challenging for Gazans.

“We understand that this can be challenging for residents of Gaza, but these requirements are necessary to ensure the integrity of our immigration system and the safety of Canadians,” IRCC wrote in its email sent Friday.

“Despite significant challenges, over 1,400 Palestinians have been able to arrive in Canada through our programs since the start of the current conflict.”

Canada has made 5,000 spaces available through its special TRV program for people in Gaza, and IRCC said, as of July 31, roughly 1,380 Palestinians have been able to submit biometrics, and of those, 1,075 are now in Canada.

The challenge of movement out of Gaza is due to factors beyond Canada’s control, IRCC added.

In an email to Saloumi on Jan. 9, 2024, Global Affairs Canada apologized for not being able to do more.

“We continue to submit names to local authorities to be included in the list for the next crossings at Rafah,” department officials wrote in the email.

“Please note that we will continue to advocate and work with authorities on all sides to ensure that Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their eligible family members are able to leave Gaza, and we are making every effort to have all names of eligible individuals approved urgently.”

In a briefing last month to a United Nations special rapporteur on Canada’s TRV program for people in Gaza, the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC) compared special measures taken by the Canadian government in Gaza to its actions in war-torn Ukraine.

According to CMPAC’s briefing document, the federal government welcomed 298,128 Ukrainians to Canada through its Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel Program over the course of 25 months. The same document said that almost 33 months since Canada’s special TRV program for people in Gaza was launched, about 1,000 Palestinians from Gaza have arrived in Canada.

Of the multiple bureaucratic hurdles faced by Palestinians eligible to apply to enter Canada, CMPAC said biometrics screenings are the biggest obstacle.

Khaled Al-Qazzaz, the executive director of the non-profit organization, said Canadian authorities have rejected recommendations to address the problem, such as implementing portable biometric screening or completing them upon arrival.

“This is a typical humanitarian case during an active genocide where people day by day are at risk of losing their lives, losing their livelihood, and they are also connected to families here in Canada,” Al-Qazzaz said.

Last year, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry in Geneva concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel has consistently denied accusations it has committed genocide.

“The Canadian government should be part of the solution, not adding more hurdles and obstacles to a humanitarian situation that they can resolve,” Al-Qazzaz said.

Rashid admitted he is struggling to remain optimistic despite his mom’s reassurances that his family will all be together again soon.

“I just pretend it's real and just hope,” he said.

Still, he continues to call out “hello” to both parents when he gets home after school in the hope that one day soon, his dad will answer back.

Saloumi Abusalim said she stays upbeat for her son then cries it out at night after he goes to sleep. (Submitted by Saloumi Abusalim)

With files from The Canadian Press