As the clock ticks down on a temporary program that brought a wave of Turkish and Syrian people to Canada after a deadly earthquake, a mother and her son have embarked on a weeks-long journey to press Ottawa for an extension for those stuck in what they call immigration limbo.

The pair is marching from Toronto to Ottawa, a roughly 500-kilometre trek that began July 19 and is expected to end next weekend.

Sefika Ozlem Yaman Sahin, 47, said she is walking on behalf of the adults now in immigration limbo, while her 12-year-old son is joining her for parts of the journey to represent the children. Yaman Sahin said she hopes the protest will bring about a resolution to the uncertainty affecting those who sought refuge here after the disaster.

 “After Canada offered an opportunity to work here, many of these people saw a chance to reboot their lives,” she said in a recent interview from Sidney, a community near Belleville, Ont.

“They came in here, they worked hard, they paid taxes, followed the rules, became part of their communities, and they created hope in here.”

Now their work permits are set to expire in a few months, and without an extension, many may be forced to leave the country — an upheaval likely to retraumatize a population that has already been uprooted under devastating circumstances, she said.

“The most important thing is to remember who are these people: they came here after a big disaster in Turkey and they have lost homes, they lost their business and, in some cases, they lost a family member,” she said.

Some have been able to apply for permanent residency and are waiting for a response, but many more — including Yaman Sahin's own family — have not yet taken that step as they wait for an invitation to apply, she said.

“We just need extra time to complete our process here,” she said, adding a two-year extension would be enough.

Temporary immigration program has ended: Ottawa

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the Turkey-Syria border in February 2023 caused what the United Nations has called "one of the biggest disasters to impact the region in recent times," with a death toll in the tens of thousands. Countless buildings were destroyed, leaving throngs of people without homes.

Not long after, the government of Canada announced the temporary humanitarian immigration measure now known as TS2023, which provided three-year open work permits for those affected by the disaster. The measure was later expanded to Turkish and Syrian nationals already in Canada on valid temporary permits, such as Yaman Sahin's family.

Ottawa maintains the program was meant to be temporary and has now come to an end.

Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada couldn't provide an immediate answer when asked how many permits were issued as part of the program, saying it would take at least 10 days to compile the data. Members of the community, meanwhile, estimate the tally surpasses 9,000.

It's also unclear how many recipients remain in Canada.

Yaman Sahin's family came to Toronto in 2022. She studied marketing at a college during the day, then worked as a food delivery driver in the evening, she said. Her husband found work as a painter, and their son enrolled in a French immersion program in school, eventually becoming fluent in French, English and Turkish.

The family moved to Halifax last year, hoping they could find an easier path toward permanent residency, she said. But soon after they arrived, the Nova Scotia government restructured its immigration policy, forcing the family to start over from scratch, she said.

A friend faced a similar issue after moving to Saskatchewan, Yaman Sahin said. He'd found a job that offered a route toward permanent residency, but the province changed the program three days before he intended to submit his application, she said.

“That's why it takes time, that's why all TS2023 holders need time,” she said.

Feds continue to help people get permanent residency: Carney

In March, Liberal MP Sima Acan presented a petition in the House of Commons that called on Ottawa to extend the permits by at least 24 months. The petition, which had more than 8,000 signatures, sought a number of changes, including that the government consider creating pathways for those with TS2023 visas to obtain permanent residency.

It also called for an exemption for permit holders from the Labour Market Impact Assessment, a government document that limits employers' ability to hire foreign workers because they must first prove Canadian citizens and permanent residents aren’t available to fill the job.

The federal government tabled a response to the petition in June, saying eligible Turkish and Syrian nationals with valid temporary status, including workers, students and visitors, could apply to renew their visas through regular programs.

“Those wishing to stay in Canada permanently can also apply to the existing immigration programs and pathways available,” it said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney weighed in on the issue earlier this week when he was asked about Yaman Sahin's protest at an unrelated news conference.

Carney said his government is continuously looking to help people in her situation find pathways to permanent residency. Still, he went on, these decisions must consider the province's capacity to provide housing, services and "the life that people deserve in Canada."

The government's response has done little to reassure people facing uncertainty as their permits near expiry. Many say they have invested emotionally and financially in their future in Canada.

Forcing them to leave the country would have a devastating impact on their families, particularly children born in the country, some said.

A crowd of supporters joined Yaman Sahin in downtown Toronto last month as she kicked off her weeks-long journey, inspired by the iconic Canadian athlete Terry Fox, whose cross-country Marathon of Hope in 1980 aimed to raise funds for cancer research. Some held up signs, including one that read: “We already lost our homes once. We refuse to lose them again."

Among them was Can Ors, a father of two who drove from Montreal to rally behind Yaman Sahin. "She's courageous, I support her, and maybe lots of people cannot do that ... maybe she's desperate," he said.

Ors, whose work permit is set to run out in December, said his anxiety is growing as the deadline draws nearer.

For now, he has no idea what the future holds for his family, including his nine-month-old daughter who was born in Canada, he said.

Ors has balanced double shifts as a rideshare driver and warehouse employee while learning English. He is now taking French lessons online so he can eventually apply for permanent residency in Quebec, he said.

His visa's looming expiry threatens to throw a wrench in those plans, he said, adding that he will likely seek help from an immigration consultant.

"Right now, our future seems dark and if I return to my country, I don't have a home,” he said, adding his priority is to ensure his son and daughter aren't forced to move to Turkey.

Mother, son trek from Toronto to Ottawa to urge program extension for Turkish, Syrian immigrants