Ottawa, ON – Today, Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, the Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, and Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Québec Lieutenant, released the following statement calling upon the Liberal government to table a plan within one week to take immediate action to stop Iranian regime activities in Canada:
“There have always been conflicts abroad, but we have never seen them spill out onto the streets in the way it has under this Liberal government. Worse, the Liberals have known for years that there are hundreds of Iranian regime officials in Canada, 239 of whom have had their visas cancelled.
“Yet this week, we learned they have only removed one, with Liberal government officials telling the Immigration Committee on Monday they couldn’t deport Iranian regime officials because they were eligible to claim asylum, there were no flights to Iran and that they needed to protect their privacy.
“While the Liberals are focused on protecting officials of the Iranian regime, a Canadian critic of the regime, Masood Masjoody, has gone missing, with police investigating it as a homicide. This has only fueled fears among other critics and the diaspora community that Tehran was involved.
“With every passing day, there are more stories of Liberal government failures to end the Iranian regime’s activities in Canada. Lax screening policies, endless removal appeals and a failure to implement a foreign agent registry make Canada a hotspot to flee to in order to avoid justice.
“On Monday, Conservatives proposed concrete solutions to strengthen our borders and immigration system. Today, we’re calling on the Liberals to table a plan within one week to do the following:
- Urgently enforce deportation orders for Iranian regime officials, and block Iranian regime officials involved in terrorism or crimes against the Iranian people from seeking safe haven in Canada;
- Disrupt efforts in Canada to launder money and finance the regime’s terrorist activities;
- Coordinate Canada’s sanctions on the Iranian regime to ensure effective compliance;
- Evaluate Canada’s terrorism threat level, which has remained unchanged since 2014;
- Identify any gaps in Canada’s national security legislation which may be exploited by regime agents;
- Finally complete the overdue establishment of Canada’s Foreign Influence Registry; and
- Stop approving any refugee claims without an in-person interview.
“The Liberals can take action against the Iranian regime today, at home within our own borders. Too much is at stake. We expect a plan within the week.”