The Canadian government announced March 18 it will allow more people trapped in Gaza with relatives in Canada to apply for temporary asylum. But Immigration Minister Marc Miller admits it may be “cold comfort” since so few Palestinians have been allowed to leave the war-torn territory.

The Israeli government, which controls the border, refuses to allow people in Gaza to flee the war. Minister Miller described the situation as the “largest hostage taking in the world.”

The Canadian government launched the initial program for Palestinians in January in an effort to respond to the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza. The program allows Palestinians fleeing the war-torn region with relatives in Canada to stay for up to three years and possibly longer.

But the Canadian government allowed only 1,000 Palestinians to apply under the temporary visa program, a number that failed to reflect the scale of the crisis.

By March 4, the Canadian government had accepted 986 applications, but only 12 of those applicants had made it out of Gaza.

In announcing the program’s expansion in March, Minister Miller says his department will allow more people in Gaza to apply for family reunification in Canada, but he said getting these people out of the region remains the biggest challenge.