Canada Fastracks Visa Applications from Regions Affected by Typhoon Haiyan

The Saudi crackdown comes as human rights groups warn of the widespread abuse of migrant workers in the construction sector in neighboring Qatar - which is building facilities to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced in a news release that it will speed up the visa applications submitted by Filipino applicants who have been significantly affected by Typhoon Haiyan, which swept across the Philippines on November 8, 2013.According to BBC News, approximately 11 million people have been affected by the storm and 673,000 displaced. It also states that the official death toll calculated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is at 1,774 with 2,487 wounded and 82 missing as of November 12, 2013.

In response to the disaster, Citizenship and Immigration Canada promises to prioritize visa applications from the Philippines and assess requests from Filipino temporary workers in Canada to extend their stay with compassion and flexibility. CIC also reminds Canadian citizens in the region affected by the storm that the Canadian Embassy in Manila remains to be functional and in full capacity to provide visa, immigration, and passport services."Canadian are deeply saddened by the devastating impact Typhoon Haiyan has had on the Philippine people," stated Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. "Our government will continue to take action to suppose those impacted by the storm and we will work with our partners to ensure that urgent support is provided to those who are significantly affected by this tragic event."

CIC anticipates the Philippines to be one of the top countries of origin for new Canadian immigrants next year and plans to increase admission of Filipino live-in caregivers to 17,500 people to reduce its backlog in processing applications, as reported in CTV News."Those affected by Typhoon Haiyan are the ones who need help urgently because they've lost their homes, in some cases, they've lost everything, their livelihoods, and they can benefit from the help of family and community here in Canada if we bring those cases to the front," said Alexander.