Federal immigration authorities have increased human resources in Beirut to prioritize immigration applications from Lebanon, a senior government official told CBC News, as fears of a major conflict engulfing the Middle East loom.
The official, who CBC News is not identifying because he is not authorized to comment publicly on the matter, also said Lebanese passport holders in Canada would be given free rein if fighting in Lebanon escalates. He said that he is considering various policies, such as allowing people to extend their stays. .
“Such measures are currently being prepared for Lebanese nationals in Canada,” the official said.
On Wednesday morning, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly hinted at the expansion of resources in Lebanon to reporters.
“We have increased the number of diplomatic staff and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada staff to ensure that Canadians seeking to leave Canada receive appropriate services,” she said.
Regarding documentation for foreign nationals seeking to enter Canada, officials can quickly process security checks such as fingerprint checks and answer questions from those who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents but wish to do so. He said additional human resources were needed to do so. Claiming a commercial flight from Lebanon booked by the federal government.
“If your spouse is not a citizen, please obtain something like a temporary resident visa,” the official said.
Flights to Canada are also available to immediate family members (such as spouses and dependent children) of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, but additional paperwork and documentation may be required.
Regarding Lebanese currently in Canada seeking to extend their stay, the official said that starting October 7, 2023, a similar He pointed to government policy.
Evacuation will prioritize Canadians
However, if the current fighting in Lebanon escalates and a large-scale evacuation becomes necessary, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority, officials said.
“It’s ready to click right away,” the person said. “Civil flights still arrive and depart from Beirut.”
During the last fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, the Canadian government evacuated nearly 15,000 people from Lebanon by sea.
At the time, Israel targeted Rafik Hariri International Airport in Hezbollah-controlled areas of the Lebanese capital, claiming the extremist group was receiving arms shipments there and forcing the airport to close.
The NDP has been calling on Ottawa for weeks to evacuate Lebanese Canadians, as the government did in 2006. Two Canadians were among the 1,000 people killed by the Lebanese government in the last week since Israel launched its latest airstrikes against Hezbollah.
Instead, the government is encouraging Canadians to depart on commercial flights using block-booked tickets with airlines.
On Tuesday, Global Affairs Canada announced that of the 1,700 Canadians living in Lebanon who were contacted by the department and offered seats on outbound flights, the government only accepted the offer. did. Ticketed passengers are responsible for the cost of the ticket, which is USD 330.
Immigration Minister Mark Miller told the media last week about the situation in Lebanon: “We’re monitoring that situation very closely and we’re obviously very concerned about what’s going on.” But he said he could not publicly comment on the scenarios his department was working on.
About 45,000 Canadians live in Lebanon, according to estimates from Global Affairs Canada.