Ottawa told a permanent resident his wife couldn't evacuate from Gaza. Then his lawyer filed a lawsuit
A Vancouver lawyer representing a permanent resident whose Palestinian wife was stuck in Gaza says Global Affairs Canada (GAC) imposed extra eligibility requirements for her to cross the border until he filed a lawsuit on their behalf. He says his client’s experience indicates there’s a problem with how GAC determines who can be evacuated.
![Ottawa told a permanent resident his wife couldn't evacuate from Gaza. Then his lawyer filed a lawsuit](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7028643.1700028268!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/randall-cohn-vancouvr-lawyer.jpg)
![Randall Cohn, a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer, represents a Canadian permanent resident in Vancouver whose spouse is Palestinian and was living in Gaza — awaiting a visa to live with her husband in Canada — when the war broke out. Photographed on Tuesday November 11, 2023 Man sitting on the steps of a building.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7028643.1700028268!/cumulusImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/randall-cohn-vancouvr-lawyer.jpg)
A Vancouver lawyer representing a permanent resident whose Palestinian wife was stuck in Gaza says Global Affairs Canada (GAC) imposed extra eligibility requirements for her to cross the border until he filed a lawsuit on their behalf. He says his client’s experience indicates there’s a problem with how GAC determines who can be evacuated.