'Desperate to see a light': PSAC strike disrupts immigration system

A Halifax-area immigration lawyer is witnessing the federal labour disruption also disrupt lives.

Lee Cohen said the strike is having a significant impact on anyone whose application is in the immigration system, including dozens of his clients.

“It’s disrupting lives. It’s rupturing families. It’s keeping families apart,” said Cohen.

The lawyer said he’s not to judge whether the strike is worthy or not but he does know of its impact.

Cohen said the immigration processing system is slow at the best of times and even before the strike, the system was overburdened and backed up.

“The processing system has not stopped but it’s significantly slowed down,” said Cohen, noting that if it continues it could grind the system to a halt.

Cohen said the strike could be devastating for people who need to get out of Canada quickly to get somewhere with the confidence of knowing if they leave, they’ll come back.

“Imagine the pressure of having to leave Canada because you have an ill parent who you might not get to see before they pass, that’s how serious it is, but you don’t have a visa,” he said.

The Zaghalil family is feeling the pressure of the strike.

“I think this strike is just making it only worse for us,” said Mahmoud Zaghalil, who was nominated through the Nova Scotia program for permanent residency but finds himself waiting.

The Zaghalil family sits in their home in Halifax on April 27, 2023. (Sarah Plowman/CTV)

Mahmoud, his wife Abeer and two sons came to Canada from Jordan on work and study permits. His two daughters are still in Jordan and are unable to visit Canada without approved visitor visas.

His wife’s one-year work permit and son’s one-year study permit expired. Both need to be renewed.

He said, while he appreciates all the work the public workers are doing and the pressure they work under, he’s desperate for permanent residency approval.

"EVERYBODY IS ANXIOUS"

“We are really desperate to see a light at the end of [the] tunnel that we are done with all the legal stuff, all the paperwork. We want to settle down,” he said.

The family wants to be able to travel freely to visit their daughters who were denied visitor visas. But given the strike, their travels would be full of uncertainty.

“Everybody is anxious, worried. We would love to go back and visit my daughters but we don’t know how the situation is going to be,” said Mahmoud.

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