Iranian IRGC conscripts in Canada Threatened with Deportation After Terrorist Designation
Hundreds of Iranian families in Canada have been served procedural fairness letters that label them inadmissible because of past compulsory service in the IRGC, giving them 30 days to prove they are not members of a terrorist organization.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sent procedural fairness letters to roughly 400 Iranian families, declaring them inadmissible because the men were conscripted into the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Canada designated a terrorist group in July 2024. Recipients, including post-doctoral fellow Sanam Mohammadzadeh and her husband, must demonstrate within 30 days that they are no longer affiliated with the IRGC, or risk deportation and loss of permanent-resident status.
The affected individuals, many of whom have been active anti-regime protesters, plan a demonstration on Sept. 22 at Parliament Hill and report that earlier appeals to MPs have yielded no relief. IRCC officials say the letters are routine and not final findings, emphasizing case-by-case assessment, while legal experts compare Canada’s policy unfavorably to the United Kingdom’s exemption for conscripts. Community activists such as Kaveh Shahrooz criticize the government for failing to provide a carve-out after assurances that conscripts would be excluded, calling the decision careless and negligent.
