Not all asylum seekers are equal: Those from Gaza and Sudan face prejudicial policies

We’ve been witness to some horrific things in our news feeds lately. Around the world, multiple wars are being waged, with people needing to leave their homes to escape the violence.

This of course includes Gaza where more than 1,7 million Palestinians have been displaced as Israeli forces continue their onslaught. It also includes Sudan, where civil war has forced more than 10 million people from their homes. In other parts of the world — places like Haiti, Venezuela and Afghanistan — people are being displaced by political and economic strife. The Canadian government has responded to some of these global events with programmes to accept some of the asylum seekers.

But there has been deep criticism of these programmes because of the disparities between them.

Ukrainian asylum seekers face fewer requirements than others, and there is no cap on the number of visas. Canada has now issued nearly 1 million temporary visas to Ukrainians, and so far more than 200 000 people have entered the country.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government set aside only 1 000 visas for Palestinians coming from Gaza.

Recent programmes designed for Sudan and several South American countries were also granted significantly fewer spots, with onerous requirements for applications. These programmes come as there’s been an increase in refugee claims to Canada following the closure of Roxham Road border crossing and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Safe Third Country Agreement last year. According to Christina Clark-Kazak, a professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa, the refugee policy in Canada has always been politicised, but is more so recently, evidenced in discrepancies between programmes for refugees from Gaza and Sudan and those from Ukraine. • Ateqah Khaki is an associate producer of the Don’t Call Me Resilient podcast. Vinita Srivastava is a host and producer of the Don’t Call Me Resilient podcast.