Mr. Speaker, as the catastrophic war rages on in Sudan, thousands of children are facing imminent death from malnutrition. Gender-based violence targeting women and girls, including sexual assault, is being used as a weapon of war. To date, not one single person has been brought to safety, and the minister is not expecting any arrivals this year. Lives are being lost as people wait for their applications to be processed.
The NDP is once again calling for the government to expedite processing; allow trusted organizations, such as the IOM, to help with biometrics; remove the arbitrary application cap of 3,250; and expand the program to include vulnerable children and those who were outside Sudan prior to April 15, 2023, and cannot get back home because of the war.
Over 286,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada under the CUAET program. Sudanese Canadians deserve equitable treatment in the world's largest displacement crisis.