Sean Fraser, Canada’s minister of immigration, declared on April 24 that the government would enact new immigration regulations to assist Sudanese temporary residents who are now living in Canada but may not be able to leave due to the unrest in their homeland. Canada to provide support to Sudanese nationals
Measures include:
- In order to continue working, studying, or visiting, Sudanese nationals in Canada can apply for an extension of their status there and between temporary streams. Extensions will be provided at no cost.
- The processing of finished applications for temporary and permanent residency from individuals who are still in Sudan are currently in the system will also receive priority attention from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This includes requests for guest visas for eligible members of the immediate families of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
- For Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Sudan who want to leave, Canada will also eliminate the expenses for passports and travel documents for permanent residents.
“Canada has a proud and long-standing tradition of providing protection to vulnerable people around the world, and we are deeply concerned for the well-being of people in Sudan, including Canadians and their family members,” said Minister Fraser speaking from Ottawa. “We are monitoring the situation closely and are working to provide support for those seeking safety in Canada.”
According to IRCC, people who qualify for priority processing will still need to meet all other legal eligibility and admissibility standards. IRCC also reports that it is getting ready to send more officers to the area to assist those already there in supporting immigration-related operations.
The department also claims that it is now unable to process new applications since the continuously changing scenario restricts travel within the nation. Global Affairs Canada also says that it has been ordered to halt operations in Sudan temporarily. Canada to provide support to Sudanese nationals.
These new measures are in response to the recent unrest in the country due to a conflict that has broken out between two rival military factions. Most of the fighting is said to be occurring near the capital, Khartoum.
Sudanese in Canada
Statistics from the Census of 2021 show that 17,485 Canadians identify Sudan as their ethnically or cultural origin nation. 4,690 more people entered Canada recently and listed Sudan as their country of origin.
These latest actions follow those that were done to aid Syrians and Turks affected by the earthquake in February of last year, as well as those that were announced on February 23 to aid Iranians in Canada during a period of unrest.
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