Public Safety Committee on April 30th, 2026

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

We work closely with our colleagues at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, as well as with our local and international partners. We have lists, not just for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, but also for Public Safety Canada and for the officials here.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Mr. Anandasangaree, what's going on with our lists?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Thank you for the question.

Which list are you referring to, specifically?

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

I'm talking about the IRGC list. That's the discussion topic.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

We'll have to wait for the next round to get the answer to that question.

Before that, Mr. Lloyd, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the ministers and witnesses for being here.

Minister Diab, was the individual in question related to this case issued a temporary resident visa or a temporary resident permit?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Let me be clear.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

It's a simple question.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Yes, absolutely, for sure.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Was it a temporary resident visa or a temporary resident permit?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

As I said, I cannot comment on the individual person in question—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

This is a very simple question.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

—but no IRGC member has been admitted to Canada.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Was it a temporary resident visa or a temporary resident permit?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I believe I've already responded to that.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Why can't you answer the question, Minister?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

As we said, we cannot comment on the specific case in question. What is important is that—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

For the benefit of the Canadians who are listening—

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

—the individual did not come into Canada.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

I have the floor. Thank you, Minister.

For the benefit of the Canadians who are listening, a temporary resident visa is required for any Iranian citizen to enter Canada. Many do on a daily basis. A temporary resident permit is required for anyone who is found inadmissible to come to Canada for criminal reasons or other reasons.

According to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre, this individual was an IRGC intelligence commander from 1979 onwards. I find it interesting that Liberal members said he was an alleged IRGC member. It's been well reported that he was an intelligence commander in the IRGC. He would have had to be issued a temporary resident permit. That is a special permit from your department.

Minister, did your department know that this person was inadmissible to Canada before you issued a permit?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Again, I'm not going to comment on an individual case, for privacy reasons. What I will say is that the individual had no status to come into Canada by the time they landed. They left. They are back in their own country.

We are very much looking forward to learning what happened in this case to ensure it does not happen in the FIFA games, which are happening in the months of June and July.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Minister, I worked for the immigration department when Jason Kenney was the minister. In cases where you have high-profile people coming into this country.... We're talking about FIFA here and an official with IRGC connections, while there's currently a very real war going on in Iran. Somebody with this high a profile coming into this country with known IRGC connections had to have been issued a temporary resident permit.

Are you saying, Minister, that you received no memo and that you were not involved in the decision at all to let this inadmissible person enter Canada?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

These decisions are not political.

I, as the minister, am a political person. It would not be something that I—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Are you saying you're not accountable, Minister?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I'm definitely accountable, but I would not have been part of that decision-making process.