Following the Canadian government's announcement of its intention to accept 5,000 refugees from Gaza, we set out to examine the international stance on Palestinian refugees from Gaza and the actions being taken in this regard.
The Spanish quandary
Spain has found itself in a predicament. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a left-wing politician who, to form a coalition, allied with several far-left figures, lending his government an intensely anti-Israeli hue.
Even before the fighting in Gaza began, members of the coalition, including Sánchez himself, repeatedly condemned Israel, accusing it of ethnic cleansing, apartheid, genocide, and other grave accusations. However, the frequent use of the term "genocide" about the events in Gaza could backfire.
According to a report by the liberal-conservative newspaper OkDiario, the Spanish Foreign Ministry has requested ministers to refrain from using the term "genocide" in the context of the Gaza conflict. This request stems from concerns that a Supreme Court ruling regarding the admission of refugees could effectively compel the Foreign Ministry to fly applicants to Spain. The report suggests that the request arose from fears of triggering a massive influx of Gazan immigrants into the country.
The Canadian share
Back in December, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Marc Miller announced that Canada would begin granting temporary residency to extended family members of Canadians residing in the Gaza Strip who wish to flee the area. On May 27, Miller announced that Canada had increased the number of Gazans eligible for entry and resettlement as temporary residents from 1,000 to 5,000.
According to a spokesperson from the Canadian Immigration Department, as of May 20, 2,903 applications had been received, and 41 individuals had actually entered the country. At this early stage, less than one percent of the 5,000 had crossed into Canada. We will continue monitoring the situation.
The American dilemma
According to internal US government documents, the contents of which were reported by CBS a month ago, senior officials from various federal agencies discussed practical options for admitting Palestinians from the Gaza Strip who have first-degree relatives who are American citizens or permanent residents.
Palestinians from Gaza who undergo a series of eligibility, medical, and security checks would be eligible to fly to the US with refugee status, offering beneficiaries permanent residency, resettlement assistance like housing aid, and a pathway to American citizenship. The report suggests that the number of eligible individuals is expected to be relatively small.
As expected, the reports sparked a wave of criticism. One of the harshest critics was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who stated, "I don't even think Biden's crazy enough to be letting a bunch of Palestinian Arabs from Gaza into the United States," adding that their admission would introduce "bloody conflicts into the country."
DeSantis' criticism came in the wake of data released by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) just a month earlier, showing that nearly 326,000 immigrants had arrived in Florida during Biden's tenure as part of an expanded program.
Immigration remains one of the hottest topics in the US presidential race, with data reported by FOX News indicating that between 2021 and 2023, approximately 1.6 million illegal immigrants entered the country – more than the 1.4 million who arrived in the preceding decade.
Recently, Biden issued an executive order limiting the entry of illegal immigrants into the US. Over the past decade, the US has admitted more than 400,000 refugees fleeing violence and war zones worldwide, with fewer than 600 being Palestinians.
The Scottish predicament
Even before the ground offensive began, some had declared their intention to admit Gazan refugees into their countries. One of the most prominent figures was Humza Yousaf, the former first minister of Scotland, who stated on October 18 that "Scotland is ready to be the first nation in Britain to take in refugees from Gaza."
Yousaf resigned from his position in April, while Gazan residents remained far from Glasgow. His statement proved to be an empty promise.
