Palestinians who fled Gaza and resettled in Montreal say they’re grateful to be secure in Canada, however are struggling to combine, discover work and entry help as asylum seekers.
Khaled Alshobaki, a software program engineer, is approaching the primary anniversary of his arrival in Montreal along with his mom and brother. Whereas bodily faraway from the battle, he says the trauma of conflict continues to comply with him.
“We’re holding with us the ache we had from the conflict — the nervousness, the dearth of sleep at night time,” Alshobaki informed International Information.
Khaled Alshobaki, a software program engineer, is approaching the primary anniversary of his arrival in Montreal along with his mom and brother.
International Information
The household arrived in January after fleeing Gaza 10 months earlier. Alshobaki says they misplaced the whole lot that they had and had been compelled to begin over from scratch.
Coming to Montreal to hitch family introduced reduction, he mentioned, however that sense of safety pale as soon as preliminary help ended. After receiving assist to acquire a piece allow and three months of free well being care, Alshobaki says help stalled.
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Now, he says, his household feels deserted.
As asylum seekers, Alshobaki says they aren’t eligible for Quebec’s employment help packages, which he says makes rebuilding their lives tough.
“We’re not eligible to profit from it,” he mentioned. “We’re not protected individuals or everlasting residents.”
One other refugee claimant household from Gaza says they’re dealing with related challenges. Fearing reprisals, they requested to stay nameless. Whereas neighbours and neighborhood organizations have provided help, the household says they’re struggling and unsure about what comes subsequent.
“We’ve got a piece allow however we will’t discover work,” a member of the family mentioned. “We are able to’t sit like this ready for different individuals to assist us.”
Each households are taking French courses in an effort to combine.
In December 2023, the federal authorities introduced it will settle for as much as 7,500 Palestinians from Gaza with family in Canada following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Advocates who work with asylum seekers say these arriving from Gaza want extra sustained help, significantly in the case of well being care protection.
They notice that many refugee claimants are eligible for the Interim Federal Well being Program (IFHP) throughout their asylum course of, whereas Palestinians arriving beneath the Gaza measures obtain solely three months of protection.
“For different asylum seekers and refugee claimants … they can get IFHP throughout their dedication course of, so there’s an enormous discrepancy there,” one advocate mentioned.
Alshobaki says considerations about his household’s future in Canada stay fixed, including that security doesn’t imply struggling has ended.
“Individuals see us right here they usually suppose we’re secure,” he mentioned. “However from the within, the conflict adopted us right here. We’re nonetheless affected by a whole lot of the trauma.”
Each households say they’re asking for extra assist to allow them to work, help themselves and rebuild their lives in Montreal.
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