441-01158 (Foreign affairs)

Last October, Canada expanded the scope of the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) Iran Regulations to include gross and systematic human rights violations. This allows Canada to target sanctions at key Iranian individuals and entities who routinely, and as a matter of state policy, violate human rights or justify the Iranian regime’s actions to a domestic and global audience. Canada also announced several new measures to respond to Iran’s ongoing human rights violations and the threats Iran poses to international peace and security, including listing the Iranian regime, including the IRGC and its top leaders—more than 10,000 senior officials—as inadmissible to Canada because of their engagement in terrorism and systematic and gross human rights violations, by enacting a designation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

As of March 27, 2023, Canada implemented its tenth round of sanctions targeting 106 individuals and 30 entities in the regime’s domestic repression, weapons proliferation and propaganda apparatus.

Canada is steadfast in its support for the courageous women and girls of Iran who continue to demand justice, accountability and the full respect of their human rights and freedoms. The violent crackdown by the Iranian regime against its own citizens, in particular violence targeting women and girls, is not without consequence. As a member of the UN Economic and Social Council, Canada is committed to working with Member States to uphold the mandate and values of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), and to ensure its continued credibility. That is why, last December, Canada voted in favour of a United States-led resolution to remove the Islamic Republic of Iran from the CSW, and urged other Member States to do the same. This UN resolution was successfully adopted by the UN Economic and Social Council.

Canada continues to consider additional diplomatic actions it may take in response to the Iranian regime’s egregious behaviour domestically and beyond its borders.

The Government of Canada currently has the tools to refuse visas under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in order to protect the safety of Canadians and uphold the integrity of Canada’s immigration program.

Foreign nationals who are temporary residents living in Canada, and permanent residents, can lose their status and be removed from Canada if they are found to be inadmissible under IRPA or fail to meet its requirements.

On November 14, 2022, the Minister of Public Safety announced the designation of Iran as a regime that has engaged in terrorism, as well as systematic or gross human rights violations. As a result of this designation, thousands of senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including those from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are inadmissible to Canada.

Measures are also currently in place under Canada’s immigration law to render inadmissible to Canada all individuals who have committed or been complicit in the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide or on security grounds, such as membership in a terrorist organization. Therefore, individuals who are not captured by the designation but who have nevertheless been implicated in the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime, may be subject to sanctions and could be found inadmissible on other grounds, including for being a member of a terrorist organization. These individuals, if determined inadmissible, would be denied a visa.

Some sanctions imposed against Iranian nationals under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) on the basis of gross and systematic human rights violations also render foreign nationals inadmissible to Canada. In May 2022, Bill S-8 was introduced in the Senate proposing amendments to IRPAto better align with Canada’s sanctions framework. If passed, a foreign national who is subject to SEMA sanctions, including sanctions made on grounds of a grave breach of international peace and security, would be inadmissible to Canada.

If passed, the amendments would represent an effective and targeted measure to prevent Iranian nationals who are subject to SEMA sanctions for the implementation of repressive measures from traveling to and entering or remaining in Canada, as the implicated foreign nationals would be inadmissible to Canada and subject to potential removal proceedings.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has a legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals that are inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The CBSA places the highest priority on the removal of individuals found inadmissible on the grounds of criminality, international or human rights violations, organized crime, or security.

In November 2022, the Minister of Public Safety designated the Iranian regime pursuant to Paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). This rendered all senior officials, more than 10,000 officers and senior members inadmissible to Canada in perpetuity for their engagement in terrorism and systemic and gross human rights violations. This applies to all Senior officials in the service of the Iranian government from November 15, 2019 onwards, including senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).The CBSA is investigating any such cases of possible inadmissibility for persons in Canada.

Additionally, our government has also introduced Bill S-8, an Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Bill S-8 proposes legislative changes that would ensure all foreign nationals sanctioned under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA), would be inadmissible to enter Canada pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

These changes will allow the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to deny entry to, and remove, sanctioned individuals.

CBSA is committed to the fair and equitable application of Canada’s immigration laws.