As your article highlights, Meera (like many other Palestinians) was accepted into a Canadian university, only to have her semester deferred three times because of Israel’s closure of the Rafah crossing that made it impossible for her to complete biometrics and, in turn, meet Canadian immigration requirements.
To the CBC News newsroom,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (www.cjpme.org) to thank you for your article titled: “Palestinian students accepted into Canadian universities remain ‘trapped’ in Gaza by visa delays” published on January 13, 2026.
Despite coverage overwhelming on Iran this week, thank you writing on the realities many Palestinians face, particularly the barriers to completing biometrics in Egypt and Jordan, as Israel continues to restrict movement out of Gaza, further isolating Palestinians in what many human rights organizations have described as an open-air prison.
As your article highlights, Meera (like many other Palestinians) was accepted into a Canadian university, only to have her semester deferred three times because of Israel’s closure of the Rafah crossing that made it impossible for her to complete biometrics and, in turn, meet Canadian immigration requirements.
If I may offer a small piece of constructive feedback; however. The article would have benefitted from additional context regarding Israel’s role in keeping the Rafah crossing closed. For example, the article notes here that: “before the war, Palestinians regularly travelled through the Rafah crossing to complete the process in Egypt. But that route has remained closed since May 2024, despite ongoing rumours that it may reopen.”
Briefly clarifying Israel’s responsibility for maintaining the closure of the Rafah crossing would help readers better understand that the obstacles Meera and others face are not incidental, but the direct result of ongoing movement restrictions imposed by Israel on Palestinians in Gaza.
We recommend the following correction:
“But that route has remained closed since May 2024, despite ongoing rumours that it may reopen” “But Israel has kept the Rafah crossing closed since May 2024 …”
Overall, thank you for covering the challenges Palestinians face under Israel’s occupation, and we encourage you to continue to do so.
Lynn Naji
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East