Immigration Minister Marc Miller said a program to let hundreds of Gazans into Canada has now expanded to thousands, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Local authorities need to help us get people through the Rafah Border Crossing,” said Miller at a press scrum. “Canada doesn’t control that, and I am pretty pissed off about it.”A reporter asked how many people had been preapproved so far. Miller admitted he could not speak to the number publicly. “It is not insignificant, but it isn’t in the hundreds,” he said. Cabinet announced in December it would make an exception to immigration rules to allow a limited number of Gazans to enter Canada, permitting fewer than 1,000 with family in it. READ MORE: Canada announces Gaza visas with limitationsMiller said security checks would be strict and applicants would undergo vetting by Israel.“There is an extensive vetting system that is done on the ground,” he said. The National Council of Canadian Muslims said it knew of requests for about 800 to 900 cousins, in-laws, and extended family members of Canadian residents to leave the war zone. At the time, Miller acknowledged it was up to Israeli authorities to conduct mandatory security checks. The Israelis would have their say. They will screen people and decide whether or not they leave. If Gazans are approved by Israel, he said they will require documentation to get to Canada. He added there “will be a process just to get people out of Gaza which will be, knowing from experience, very intensive from a security perspective as well as the biometrics that will need to be performed in Cairo.”He stressed it is tough to leave Gaza and might be unfeasible. To date, Miller said no one had been permitted out of it. He said a broad program has been made for people with relatives in Canada. Since this program is so unique, he admitted there “is some trepidation by people on the ground as to whether to let these folks out, but it’s a humanitarian gesture and it’s immensely frustrating for me.” Before he speaks more about it, he said he thinks there is more diplomatic work to do. A reporter asked what those efforts look like. He said these efforts would be diplomatic. Miller concluded by saying he cannot give up. “I don’t want to create a system that’s entertained false hope, but I also don’t want to drop my arms and not try,” he said. “It’s really frustrating and obviously it’s a matter of life and death for the families in question.”
