Latest news with #RebeccaPurdy
Vancouver Sun
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Three Iranian regime members ordered out of Canada, have visas cancelled
OTTAWA — Three people have been found ineligible to remain in Canada in recent years for being senior officials of the Iranian regime, the federal border agency says. Deportation orders were issued for all three and one has been removed from Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency said Wednesday. In 2022, Ottawa declared Iran's leaders — including senior government and security agency officials — inadmissible to Canada due to involvement in terrorism and human rights violations. The border agency says the designation, which was expanded last year, denies any senior official of the regime access to Canada in the first place. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It also allows the agency to take immigration enforcement action against any regime member who came to Canada before or after the designation. The current hostilities between Israel and Iran have drawn more attention to the possible activities of Iranian regime members in Canada. Border agency spokeswoman Rebecca Purdy said the agency works very closely with domestic and international partners by sharing relevant information on border and national security issues. Those efforts include the agency's support for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which makes decisions on citizenship and immigration applications, including visas, she said. All Iranian nationals must apply for a visa to come to Canada and visa applicants are carefully assessed by the immigration department, she added. The border agency investigates when it becomes aware of a temporary or permanent resident inside Canada who may be inadmissible as a senior official of a designated regime. If the case is well-founded, it's referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board, Purdy said. If the board determines a person is inadmissible, it issues an order against them and the border agency then works to remove them from Canada. As of June 6, about 17,800 applications were reviewed for potential inadmissibility due to possible links to the Iranian regime, while immigration officials had cancelled 131 visas and the border agency had opened 115 investigations. Forty-nine of those investigations have been concluded by the border agency, meaning the individuals in question were either not in Canada or were found not to be a senior official in the Iranian regime and therefore not inadmissible, Purdy said. The remaining cases are subject to ongoing investigations or enforcement action, she said. The border agency has requested admissibility hearings at the Immigration and Refugee Board in the cases of 12 people suspected of being senior members of the Iranian regime. Admissibility hearings have concluded in five of those 12 cases, Purdy said. Three individuals were issued deportation orders for being senior regime officials. Two others were not found inadmissible, but the border agency is appealing to the Immigration Appeal Division in both cases. Six cases are ongoing and one has been withdrawn by the border agency. 'The CBSA works in an operating environment that changes on a daily basis and we are ready to respond and adapt as needed,' Purdy said. 'To address this situation, additional resources have been engaged to ensure safe and secure border management as necessary.' Public Safety Canada spokesperson Noemie Allard said Wednesday that the department and its portfolio agencies 'continue to monitor the residual impact of the evolving situation in the Middle East.' Canada's law enforcement agencies 'remain on alert and are working together to ensure the safety and security of all communities in Canada during this challenging time,' Allard added. It emerged last year that former Liberal justice minister and longtime human rights activist Irwin Cotler was under RCMP protection due to an alleged Iranian assassination plot. Cotler, an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime, expressed concern Wednesday about the ongoing threats and intimidation emanating from Tehran against the diaspora community in Canada. Cotler, international chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, said Canada should establish a standalone agency to address the phenomenon of transnational repression. 'We need an independent agency for that purpose,' he said in an interview. Cotler, citing the lone deportation of an Iranian regime member, also wants to see more prosecutions of such individuals in Canada. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
National Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
Three Iranian regime members ordered out of Canada, have visas cancelled
OTTAWA — Three people have been found ineligible to remain in Canada in recent years for being senior officials of the Iranian regime, the federal border agency says. Article content Deportation orders were issued for all three and one has been removed from Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency said Wednesday. Article content In 2022, Ottawa declared Iran's leaders — including senior government and security agency officials — inadmissible to Canada due to involvement in terrorism and human rights violations. Article content Article content The border agency says the designation, which was expanded last year, denies any senior official of the regime access to Canada in the first place. Article content Article content It also allows the agency to take immigration enforcement action against any regime member who came to Canada before or after the designation. Article content The current hostilities between Israel and Iran have drawn more attention to the possible activities of Iranian regime members in Canada. Article content Border agency spokeswoman Rebecca Purdy said the agency works very closely with domestic and international partners by sharing relevant information on border and national security issues. Article content Those efforts include the agency's support for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which makes decisions on citizenship and immigration applications, including visas, she said. Article content All Iranian nationals must apply for a visa to come to Canada and visa applicants are carefully assessed by the immigration department, she added. Article content Article content The border agency investigates when it becomes aware of a temporary or permanent resident inside Canada who may be inadmissible as a senior official of a designated regime. Article content Article content If the case is well-founded, it's referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board, Purdy said. If the board determines a person is inadmissible, it issues an order against them and the border agency then works to remove them from Canada. Article content As of June 6, about 17,800 applications were reviewed for potential inadmissibility due to possible links to the Iranian regime, while immigration officials had cancelled 131 visas and the border agency had opened 115 investigations. Article content Forty-nine of those investigations have been concluded by the border agency, meaning the individuals in question were either not in Canada or were found not to be a senior official in the Iranian regime and therefore not inadmissible, Purdy said.
Global News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
Deportation orders issued to 3 Iranian regime officials in Canada: CBSA
Three people have been found ineligible to remain in Canada in recent years for being senior officials of the Iranian regime, the federal border agency says. Deportation orders were issued for all three and one has been removed from Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency said Wednesday. In 2022, Ottawa declared Iran's leaders — including senior government and security agency officials — inadmissible to Canada due to involvement in terrorism and human rights violations. The border agency says the designation, which was expanded last year, denies any senior official of the regime access to Canada in the first place. It also allows the agency to take immigration enforcement action against any regime member who came to Canada before or after the designation. The current hostilities between Israel and Iran have drawn more attention to the possible activities of Iranian regime members in Canada. Story continues below advertisement 2:07 More suspected senior Iranian officials in Canada: CBSA Border agency spokeswoman Rebecca Purdy said the agency works very closely with domestic and international partners by sharing relevant information on border and national security issues. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Those efforts include the agency's support for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which makes decisions on citizenship and immigration applications, including visas, she said. All Iranian nationals must apply for a visa to come to Canada and visa applicants are carefully assessed by the immigration department, she added. The border agency investigates when it becomes aware of a temporary or permanent resident inside Canada who may be inadmissible as a senior official of a designated regime. If the case is well-founded, it's referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board, Purdy said. If the board determines a person is inadmissible, it issues an order against them and the border agency then works to remove them from Canada. Story continues below advertisement As of June 6, about 17,800 applications were reviewed for potential inadmissibility due to possible links to the Iranian regime, while immigration officials had cancelled 131 visas and the border agency had opened 115 investigations. Forty-nine of those investigations have been concluded by the border agency, meaning the individuals in question were either not in Canada or were found not to be a senior official in the Iranian regime and therefore not inadmissible, Purdy said. The remaining cases are subject to ongoing investigations or enforcement action, she said. 2:47 Accused senior Iranian official fighting to stay in Canada The border agency has requested admissibility hearings at the Immigration and Refugee Board in the cases of 12 people suspected of being senior members of the Iranian regime. Admissibility hearings have concluded in five of those 12 cases, Purdy said. Story continues below advertisement Three individuals were issued deportation orders for being senior regime officials. Two others were not found inadmissible, but the border agency is appealing to the Immigration Appeal Division in both cases. Six cases are ongoing and one has been withdrawn by the border agency. 'The CBSA works in an operating environment that changes on a daily basis and we are ready to respond and adapt as needed,' Purdy said. 'To address this situation, additional resources have been engaged to ensure safe and secure border management as necessary.' Public Safety Canada spokesperson Noémie Allard said Wednesday that the department and its portfolio agencies 'continue to monitor the residual impact of the evolving situation in the Middle East.' Canada's law enforcement agencies 'remain on alert and are working together to ensure the safety and security of all communities in Canada during this challenging time,' she added.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Shopping in the U.S.? You might need to pay more coming home
Shopping or travelling across the border? Here's what the tariffs mean for bringing things back to Canada 10 hours ago Duration 1:38 Social Sharing That quick trip across the border you had planned to pick up groceries at Meijer or clothes from Target might now cost you significantly more when you return to Canada. The Canada Border Services Agency has begun implementing a 25 per cent tariff, or surtax, on a long list of goods from the U.S. in response to the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs against Canadian imports. "These countermeasures will apply to commercial shipments, goods imported by mail or courier, and goods imported by individual travellers above their personal exemptions," said Rebecca Purdy, a senior spokesperson for the CBSA. "Surtaxes will remain in place until the U.S. eliminates its trade-restrictive measures against Canada." Items subject to the surtax range from common groceries to cosmetics, clothing and alcohol. Personal exemptions for travellers vary depending on how long they've been out of the country. For instance, those who have been away for more than 24 hours can bring back up to $200 worth of goods, duty free — but that doesn't include alcohol or tobacco. The list of exemptions and limits can be found here. Regardless of exemptions, travellers need to declare all U.S. goods they're bringing into Canada, the CBSA said. Those bringing goods into the country themselves need to pay any duty or surtax at the port of entry, the agency said, while "individuals shipping goods through the mail or courier will pay upon delivery." "Travellers can help speed up processing times by coming prepared with their travel documents and receipts in hand prior to arriving at the border," the CBSA said. "They may also consider completing an Advance Declaration prior to their arrival at the airport. Travellers are encouraged to check border wait times before they leave and plan their journey accordingly." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the countermeasures targeting an initial $30 billion worth of American imports on Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariffs against all Canadian goods. However, Trump on Wednesday announced a one-month reprieve for the deeply integrated auto sector after speaking with manufacturers and Trudeau. In its statement, the CBSA seemed to acknowledge the fluid nature of negotiations.
