The federal government said that people who managed to escape from the Gaza Strip are no longer eligible for the program to reunite them with extended family members in Canada if they did not complete the application process before leaving.

The government launched a special visa program in January that would provide temporary asylum for up to 1,000 people in Gaza who have extended family members in Canada.

However, a statement issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirms that people who fled to Egypt before reaching the second stage of the application process are not eligible.

Instead, the department says these individuals can apply to come to Canada through other immigration programs.

The government has tried advocating for more than 300 Palestinians trapped in Gaza to escape through borders controlled by Egypt and Israel, but so far it has not succeeded.

Some families paid thousands of dollars to private companies that helped their families reach Egypt, but they now find themselves stuck.