Canada cancelled hundreds of IRGC-connected visas: CBSA
· Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — Hundreds of visas were cancelled by Canadian immigration and border officials over connections to Iran’s despotic regime, Canada’s border agency said.
Numbers released this week by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) show that 239 visas with connections to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ended up annulled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as of March 5.
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“Since the original designation of the Iranian regime in November 2022, the CBSA has received approximately 280 tips through the Border Watch Line from a variety of sources including external organizations and members of the public,” a CBSA statement said.
“ If after investigation the concern is well-founded, the CBSA will report the individual and refer the case to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) as the decision-maker.”
After that, if the IRB determines inadmissibility, a removal order will be issued, and it’ll be up to the CBSA to remove that person from Canada as soon as possible.
“Where (the) CBSA becomes aware of senior (Iranian regime) officials who may be in Canada, they will be investigated and appropriate enforcement action will follow,” the CBSA statement added.
Over 17,800 visas scrutinized, CBSA says
In 2022, Canada designated the leadership of the despotic Iranian regime as inadmissible to Canada for their support of regional terror and rampant human rights abuses.
Canada designated the IRGC as a proscribed terrorist group in 2024, owing to their connection with and funding of regional terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian terrorists like Hamas in Israel.
According to numbers provided by CBSA, about 17,800 visa applications were reviewed for potential inadmissibility.
That resulted in the commencement of 174 investigations by CBSA officials, with more investigations opened as new information come to light.
Seventy-nine investigations were concluded after officials determined the individual either wasn’t in Canada or was not a senior member of the Iranian regime’s leadership.
Thirty-two individuals were reported inadmissible due to connections to Iranian leadership, with 23 of those people referred to the IRB for admissibility hearings.
Of those referrals, three were withdrawn by the CBSA as the individuals ended up departing Canada on their own.
Seventeen of the cases have been requested scheduled at the behest of the CBSA, with eight of those already having concluded.
Of those eight, three individuals were deemed to be senior regime officials and issued deportation orders, one of whom has already been removed from Canada.