The advocacy group Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk has shared that several Palestinian students accepted by Canadian universities are opting to pursue their education in France instead. CBC reports that some students, despite receiving admissions and scholarships offers from Canadian universities, will be attending university in France instead due to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processing delays. One student told the Canadian Press that French authorities helped him evacuate, receive biometrics tests, and receive a validated French visa within the span of 40 days, while IRCC has not followed up since mid-April. “We’re happy that the [students] actually got an opportunity,” said PSSAR Chair and Université de Sherbrooke Professor Ayman Oweida. “The heartbreak is that they did not come to us.”
