Liberal Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters Thursday Israeli military action in Gaza is “the largest hostage taking in the world.”He made no mention of some 130 Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.. “We are all failing Gazans at this point,” said Miller. “I think that is something we need to realize, that they are under, it’s probably the largest hostage taking right now in the world.”“People in and around Rafah are very exposed to death, to starvation, to bombardment,” said Miller. “We are trying to save lives.”Miller said the Liberal/NDP coalition government, and even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself, have “pushed on many levels” to aid Gazans seeking to come to Canada. “The prime minister himself has pushed,” said Miller. He did not elaborate, but said a small, undisclosed number of Gazans managed to reach the nearest Canadian mission in Cairo for visa papers. “People have actually been able to get through the border, I suspect at great financial cost,” he said.When asked if he was “aware of Canadians going over and bribing officials,” Miller could not confirm. “I can’t speak to every person that’s crossed over,” replied Miller. “I can’t confirm whether every person who has crossed has bribed officials but I do understand that in order to cross the border on your own, there are sums required,” said Miller..In December, Miller announced the Trudeau Liberals would waive immigration rules to grant permits to a limited number of Gazans to enter Canada. “We are thinking in the hundreds,” Miller said at the time. The number was later expanded to thousands of cousins, in-laws and other distant relatives of Canadians or permanent residents eligible for special visas.At the time he emphasized it was up to Israeli authorities to conduct mandatory security checks in the war zone.“The Israelis have their say,” Miller said. “They will screen people and decide whether they leave or don’t leave.”“We will require documentation in order to get to Canada,” Miller continued. “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.”“I would like to stress it is extremely difficult to leave Gaza and may not be possible,” Miller added. “There is an extensive vetting system that is done on the ground.”
