July 27, 2012

Canada a Refuge for Christian Egyptians

Canada may see an influx of Christians from Egypt, trying to find refuge from Egypt’s president who belongs to a Muslim Brotherhood. After the election of this new Islamic Government, Immigration officials claim they will see an acceleration of Permanent Resident Application from Christian Egyptians, as they will presumably be fleeing from persecution.

The Muslim Brotherhood that the President belongs to has violent affiliations, and is questioned for its rights allotted to women and non-Muslim minorities.

Other Egyptians are expected to seek a shorter visitation through a temporary resident visa. The number of temporary resident visa applications that were processed in Cairo reached more than 9,500 in 2011. One program officer believes that this was caused by the impact suffered through the economic and political instability that has been happening in Egypt.

After winning the presidential election in June, Islamist Mohamed Mursi, this has caused concern for the 80-million Coptic Christians living in Egypt. Numbers are estimated to continue rising for applications, as numbers have grown since 2007 amongst those who have filed for immigration.