During his acclaimed Davos speech in January, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada would exercise what he called “principled and pragmatic” leadership on the world stage. Among his government’s pragmatic goals is attracting top international talent to Canadian universities. In keeping with this, Canada implemented an expedited 14-day processing period for PhD students seeking study visas and pledged $130 million (CAD) to assist “top international doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers [to] relocate to Canada.”
It is hard to square Canada’s enthusiasm for recruiting the world’s best and brightest with its stonewalling of some of Palestine’s most distinguished graduate students. Currently, 130 students from Gaza who have been accepted to study (and in many cases awarded full funding) in masters and PhD programs in Canada are in limbo. Some have been waiting nearly three years for a study visa.
Twin sisters Sally and Dalia Ghazi Ibaid, who were accepted to PhD programs at the University of Waterloo, were killed by an Israeli airstrike in 2024 as they awaited visas.
Other countries have welcomed students from Gaza with open arms. The UK’s Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, recently affirmed her government’s unequivocal support. “Talented young people from across Gaza must not be denied their chance to study because of the horrendous conditions and restrictions they still face.”
In May, Italian University Minister Anna Maria Bernini and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani greeted 72 Palestinian students in Rome. Later, Pope Leo greeted Palestinian students attending Sapienza University in Rome. The UK, Belgium, Ireland, France and other countries have together supported evacuating hundreds of students from Gaza since 2024.
In Canada, the non-profit organization Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk (which we have both supported) has led a lengthy campaign to obtain study visas and secure safe evacuation for students trapped in Gaza.
Multiple delegations of professors, students, Members of Parliament, and other supporters have met with senior government officials in Ottawa. There have been op-eds by leading Canadian scholars, a distinguished human rights expert, and the president of Toronto Metropolitan University. The students themselves have repeatedly expressed their desire to study in Canada in compelling social media videos.
Despite two years of sustained pressure, Prime Minister Carney and Lena Metlege Diab, the minister responsible for student visas, remain unconcerned by the distress of these students. For many months, Diab’s spokespeople have claimed that applications for study visas can’t be processed without biometric testing. This is a ludicrous requirement given Israel’s total elimination of all relevant facilities in Gaza and past practices for Ukrainians, Afghanis and Syrians coming to Canada.
In June, Diab publicly committed in the House of Commons to expedite the review of these visa applications, but when asked about it later was vague about timelines. Now there is evidence that Canadian officials are attempting to reject study visa applications by conducting witch hunt interviews to suggest student ties to Hamas.
The approach of the Carney government to Palestinian students has been far from principled or pragmatic. It’s blatantly discriminatory and heartless.
The hopelessness felt by many of these students is reflected in a recent text message to me (Sean) from a student named Riman: “Honestly, sometimes I feel upset and sad because there is no clear path yet, while other countries help their admitted students. I believe in Canadian justice and I hope to start my studies soon.”
A new academic year begins soon, and hope is fading for these outstanding students who made a choice to study in Canada, have satisfied every academic requirement, and just want to get on with their research. They deserve better.
