130 students remain stuck due to lack of facilities and long visa processing times
Visa delays leave students in a limbo
In an interview with the Carillon, Eman Almehdawe, a professor in the faculty of business, University of Regina (U of R) said that Canada needs to do better in creating smoother transits for students coming to Canada from Gaza.
In a recent interview with CBC, Almehdawe said that students from Gaza are unable to come to Canada due to visa issues. The article featured Meera, a student from Gaza, who was accepted in the industrial engineering masters program at the U of R in 2024 but was unable to travel to Canada. Meera was one of the 130 students who were accepted into Canadian universities but were unable to enter the country.
Long visa processing times
Almehdawe said that the long processing time for visas is one of the biggest issues that Canada is facing.
“A part of the visa requirement is biometrics, which is kind of like fingerprinting. This needs to be completed amongst a number of other [formalities] for a visa to be processed,” she said.
According to the government of Canada, biometrics includes a person’s fingerprints and photographs, which are needed to confirm an individual’s identity. A person is required to present this whether they are a temporary or permanent resident of Canada, extending their stay, or coming in as a refugee.
She added that because Gaza doesn’t have the ability to provide the facilities needed to complete the required formalities, students remain trapped despite being accepted in Canadian institutions.
“Students have to go outside of Gaza, typically to Egypt, where they should be able to do their biometric requirements,” Almehdawe said. She, however, added that even students who are applying for visas in nearby areas of Egypt are struggling to complete requirements due to lack of proper facilities for biometrics submission.
Canada (always talks about) supporting humanitarian causes, equity, and fairness, but I am not seeing any of that on the ground because look at how people are being treated,” – Eman Almehdawe, U of R Professor.
Canada can do better
Almehdawe said that countries such as the UK, Ireland, and Italy have all been successful in facilitating evacuations of their accepted students from Gaza but doesn’t understand why Canada has not been able to do the same.
“The Canadian government doesn’t have the will to do the same [as other countries]. Someone needs to tell us why because I don’t see any reason as to why Canada cannot do the same,” Almehdawe said.
She added that Canada has always been the destination for graduate students who come from all over the world, and international students always contribute to the research prospects of universities. Almehdawe said the contributions of these students in labs and in conducting research are factors that make having their presence valuable to institutions.
She stated that the situation that students from Gaza are facing is unfortunate for both the students and the country. She also believes that it makes the country look bad.
“Canada [always talks about] supporting humanitarian causes, equity, and fairness, but I am not seeing any of that on the ground [in this case],” said Almehdawe.
She stated that she feels a difference in the country’s support for students coming from Ukraine in comparison to those coming from Gaza.
“When Ukrainians were fleeing their country and coming into Canada, the support systems were there,” she said.
Almehdawe added that this difference in treatment is what upsets her the most since Canada is a country that prides itself in welcoming a diverse set of people coming from all over the world.
“All we are asking for is fairness, and that Canada treats our Palestinian students with similar support that it does for other students in other countries,” she said.
IRCC stands by requirements
As of early 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) maintained that Palestinian students must meet standard visa requirements stating that collecting biometrics is not possible inside Gaza and that students must reach another country to do so.
For Almehdawe, the issue is no longer about policy details or processing delays, it is about whether Canada is willing to match its reputation for fairness with action for the 130 students who continue to wait
