FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Canada quietly opened a loophole under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot Program (EMPP) that allows permanent resettlement in Canada to those who may be supporters of designated terrorist organizations like Hamas and others operating in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank sometime between May 22, 2023, and June 12, 2023.
Lawyers For Secure Immigration calls on the Government of Canada to share with Canadians two key pieces of information about those who have been approved for and have received permanent residence status in Canada under the EMPP:
- Reveal how many applications have been approved under the Economic Mobility Pathway Pilot Program EMPP for applicants who have been found eligible for holding a refugee certificate from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine in the Near East (UNRWA) or proof of being registered or recorded as a person of concern with UNRWA.
- Share what added security measures, if any, were employed to screen EMPP applications bearing UNRWA official document to gain entry to Canada.
Lawyers for Secure Immigration ask the Government of Canada to immediately disqualify all EMPP applicants with pending applications tied to UNRWA supporting documents from becoming eligible for permanent residence status in Canada under the EMPP. We call on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to immediately replace the UNRWA eligibility criteria with alternative proof of their refugee or status/ situation or an eligibility assessment and referral by an IRCC trusted partner that does not involve reliance on any supporting documents from UNRWA.
United Nations Watch has consistently raised awareness globally about the ties between UNRWA and terrorist organizations and activities. United Nations Watch is a Swiss non-governmental organization, whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the United Nations and keep it accountable. UN Watch has reported on widespread support for Hamas terrorism within the organization. UN Watch has uncovered UNRWA’s involvement in stealing aid and reselling it to Gazans for profit. UNRWA’s role as a neutral aid agency has been called into question globally with many countries having suspending funding based on concerns about its affiliations, neutrality and participation in and support forterrorism.
UNRWA is presently being sued for its role in aiding and abetting in the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. UNRWA has been implicated for providing safe harbour of weapons used by Hamas in UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip. A Hamas data center had been discovered beneath a UNRWA headquarters in February 2024. Other evidence has come to light about Hamas including the use of UNRWA facilities for their operations. Funding to UNRWA has been suspended by multiple countries due to ongoing concerns regarding its connections and support for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
In June 2023 the Government of Canada expanded the EMPP and allowed UNRWA to vouch for persons with any ties to Palestinian heritage to secure recognition as refugees and become eligible for resettlement in Canada as economic immigrants.
For all the above reasons and more, Lawyers for Secure Immigration calls on the Government of Canada to immediately disqualify UNRWA from serving as refugee determination agency with the power to recommend refugees for resettlement in Canada.
Lawyers for Secure Immigration calls on the Ministers of IRCC Marc Miller and Public Safety Canada Dominic Leblanc to close this unnecessary loophole which could result in terrorists being admitted to Canada.
For media inquiries, email: lawyers4secureimmigration@gmail.com
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