Academics Call on Ottawa to Speed up Palestinian Student Visas
- A number of Canadian scholars are urging the federal government in Ottawa to accelerate the processing of visas for more than 70 Palestinian students who have been admitted to universities in Canada but remain stranded in Gaza, Egypt, or Jordan.
- This call follows the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas since October 2023, the closure of the Rafah border in May 2024, and added security screenings for Gaza residents after the October 7 attack on Israel.
- Several students, including 25-year-old Meera Falyouna, who was admitted to a master’s program in industrial engineering at the University of Regina in April 2024, have postponed their studies multiple times due to visa processing delays and their inability to provide biometric information.
- Professor Aaron Shafer said about one-third of accepted students are already in Egypt awaiting visa processing, while Palestinian students trapped in Gaza face food shortages, family losses, and stalled applications.
- The academics and students urge the Canadian government to treat Palestinian students like those from Ukraine and Syria, emphasizing the opportunity to resolve delays and bring these students to Canada to pursue their dreams.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Two sisters admitted to a Canadian university were killed by the Israeli army before they could leave Gaza.
'Trapped with my dreams': Palestinian students admitted to Canadian schools stuck awaiting visa approvals
With two of their peers killed last year, more than 70 Palestinian students are raising alarms about stalled visa applications to Canada that are stranding them in Gaza or nearby countries as they wait out the war, despite having admissions and scholarships at Canadian universities.

Academics call on Ottawa to speed up Palestinian student visas
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Palestinian Student Cannot Reach University of Piedmont because Italian Consulate Denies Visa Online
PIEDMONT – There is a 28-year-old Palestinian girl, Heba Alnajjar, who has been admitted to a master’s degree at the University of Eastern Piedmont, but who cannot obtain a visa to reach Italy. The reason is that the Italian consulate in Jerusalem told her that the documents cannot be issued online and she must sign in person, the problem is that she is in the Gaza Strip and should obtain authorization from Israel to reach Jerusalem. Heba Alnajj…
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