More than four countries taking in Palestinians fleeing Gaza

AAP FACTCHECK – Claims are circulating on social media that Australia is one of only four countries that has taken refugees from Gaza. 

This is false. More than four countries have approved visas for Palestinians since the renewed outbreak of war in the region in October 2023. 

The exact number of nations that have offered visas to Palestinians is difficult to establish due to significant variations in approaches taken by individual countries. 

However, immigration data and media reports show at least 10 countries other than Australia have offered a safe haven to people fleeing the region since October 2023. 

The false claim was made in an August 19 Facebook post that says of the UN’s 193 member states, “4 are taking refugees from Gaza”. 

“UK, USA, Canada have taken 58 in total. Australia has taken 2922,” the post reads. 

Five days before it was posted, on August 14, Home Affairs minister Tony Burke told parliament that between October 7, 2023, and August 12, 2024, Australia had granted 2922 visas to people from the Gaza war zone. 

The Department of Home Affairs confirmed to AAP FactCheck that the visa data is based on citizenship, therefore the numbers quoted by Mr Burke refer to “Palestinians”, not “Gazans”. 

Updated figures from the department show that between October 7, 2023, and August 19, 2024, 2935 people with Palestinian citizenship were granted migration and temporary visas and about half of them have entered Australia at time of writing.

The Palestinians offered Australian visas have not been formally designated “refugees”. 

Instead, the 2935 visas included 2578 visitor visas, 97 family visas, 39 resident return visas, 75 skilled migration visas, 51 student visas and 87 temporary visas, according to Home Affairs data provided to AAP FactCheck. 

The term “refugee” is defined in international law as a person who has a “well-founded fear of being persecuted”, and is outside the country of their nationality and unable to safely live in that country. 

Australia has a designated refugee visa category for people referred for resettlement by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. 

The Refugee Council of Australia, an umbrella body for refugees and people seeking asylum, says the Palestinians offered tourist visas are better described as people who have links to Australia and are entering the country temporarily. 

“​​The Australian government has allowed some residents of Israel and Gaza who have close links in Australia to enter on a temporary basis,” the council’s chief executive Paul Power said. 

“In granting the visas, the government isn’t making any decision about whether or not the people meet the refugee definition.” 

At least 10 other countries have offered visas to Palestinians since October 2023, although comparing exact figures is difficult because the types of visas and the reporting formats of the countries vary.

Canada is offering up to 5000 temporary residency visas to Palestinians who have Canadian relatives. A government spokesperson told Reuters on May 28 that 448 Gazans had been issued a temporary visa to date, and 41 had arrived in Canada.

Belgium granted refugee status to 1433 Palestinians between January and July 2024, according to figures published (page 10) by its commissioner general’s office for refugees and stateless people.

UK immigration statistics (“Asy_D02” dataset) show the government approved 145 asylum applications from Palestinians between October 2023 and June 2024.

Additionally, the BBC reported in December 2023 that Gazans with British partners, children or parents could apply for family visas before entering the UK. 

New Zealand’s immigration processing agency said it has approved 98 temporary and residence visa applications from Palestinian passport holders between October 7, 2023, and August 21, 2024. Twenty-eight of those visa holders had arrived in New Zealand by August 21. 

Between October 2023 and July 2024, 17 Palestinians were admitted into the US as refugees according to data from the Refugee Processing Center’s “Refugee Admissions Report as of July 31, 2024″. 

The French foreign ministry said in April that it had helped more than 260 people to leave Gaza since November 2023, though it’s not clear how many subsequently entered France. 

French newspaper Le Monde reported at the time, however, that citizens and residents of France and their families were prioritised for evacuation from Gaza, and 193 of those evacuated from Gaza to Egypt before April 6 had left for France. 

News site Zeit Online reported in March 2024 that Germany agreed to accept 147 people from war-torn Gaza after October 7, 2023, while in November 2023 the Bulgarian News Agency reported that 36 Palestinian-Bulgarian families had been evacuated and were in transit to Bulgaria. 

Greece’s Ministry of Migration and Asylum statistics (page 14) show Greece approved 6391 asylum applications to Palestinians throughout 2023, though the proportion of those visas processed since October 2023 is not specified, while Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports it has evacuated more than 300 Palestinian citizens since October. 

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