441-01352 (Foreign affairs)

Whereas:

1. Canadian citizens of Iranian descent are wrongfully profiled based on their background and birthplace when travelling to the United States with Canadian passports;

2. Law-abiding Canadians, including doctors, nurses, scientists, engineers, pilots, and faculty members who have contributed to Canada's economy and society, are being denied entry to the US without explanation, despite their previous incident-free entries;

3. They undergo biometric screening, device searches, and questioning about their background and compulsory conscription in Iran, leading to personal and professional distress for them and endangering their careers. As confirmed by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, "The primary sanction when it comes to the FTO designation actually is a travel ban, and the people affected by that ban [are conscripts] and they would not be able to travel", adding that: "the people who are the real bad guys have no intention of travelling here anyway.";

4. Partners and children, even those born in Canada, are also unjustly flagged as travel risks and denied entry to the US without explanation;

5. Canadian families following Customs and Border Protection advice to visit US Consulates endure lengthy administrative processing without explanation, causing economic and emotional strain;

6. The Canadians followed proper legal channels and sought a Redress Control Number from the Department of Homeland Security, but the number provided was ineffective in resolving their situation; and

7. The Transportation Security Administration added the Canadians' names to travel risk lists shared with US allies, leading to unreasonable secondary screenings for Canadians travelling to/from Canada and deportation from other countries.

We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:

• Ask the United States to provide reasons for unjust profiling of Canadians of Iranian descent and long administrative processing of the aforementioned Canadians;
• Engage and negotiate with the United States Department of State to provide a mandate for impacted Canadian citizens of Iranian descent similar to the "Exercise of Authority Under Federal Registration Vol.87 No.120 (37523) dated on June 23, 2022."; and
• Take action on the unjust security measures that Canadians face upon leaving and returning to their home, Canada, by removing the unjustified security flags.