‘I feel so betrayed’: Iranian conscripts in Canada face deportation threats over terrorist designation
CBC talked to dozens of former conscripts to Iran's Revolutionary Guards facing inadmissibility to Canada
Hundreds of Iranian families have received a letter from the federal immigration department declaring them inadmissible to Canada.
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them → feel → Canada
Time is running out for them to prove they are not members of a terrorist organization.
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they → run → organization
“We chose Canada to live in a fair place, but now I realize there is no justice here,” Sanam Mohammadzadeh said.
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Mohammadzadeh → choose → place
The Windsor, Ont. resident is among the affected Iranian families in Canada who are concerned about their future here.
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who → affect → future
Many are planning to stage a protest on Sept. 22 on Parliament Hill.
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Many → plan → Hill
A Procedural Fairness Letter (PFL) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is issued to an applicant when the IRCC officer has concerns about the application.
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officer → issue → application
CBC News reviewed approximately 50 such PFL letters issued on Aug. 6.
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News → review → Aug.
They all used the same wording that an applicant is being considered “inadmissible” because of their prior conscription service.
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applicant → use → service
Experts say all men in Iran, age 18 and older, must do mandatory service with one of the arms of the military, and many are assigned to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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many → say → Corps
In July 2024, the Canadian government listed IRGC as a terrorist organization under Criminal Code.
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government → list → Code
Then-Justice Minister Arif Virani had shared concerns about the impact of the designation on the conscripts.
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Virani → share → conscripts
"If an individual was conscripted at one point in time and no longer serves with the IRGC, that would affect the analysis," he said in 2024.
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he → conscript → 2024
‘I feel so betrayed’
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I → feel → ?
Mohammadzadeh is an award-winning post-doctoral fellow at the University of Windsor.
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Mohammadzadeh → win → Windsor
Her husband, who works in auto manufacturing, received the letter for his IRGC conscription service, which happened in 2010.
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which → work → 2010
Mohammadzadeh said they immigrated to Canada because they were against the Iranian regime and IRGC, and they participated in many protests against the regime once here.
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they → say → regime
Now, they fear their safety is at risk if they have to return.
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they → fear → risk
The couple has been waiting for permanent residency approval since 2024, and are angry IRCC has labelled all conscripts as terrorists.
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IRCC → wait → terrorists
Mohammadzadeh said if her husband’s past conscription was such an obstacle, why did the Canadian government allow them to come in the first place?
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them → say → place
“I'm exactly the same person with the identical information I provided.
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I → provide → information
Now suddenly, I'm a terrorist,” she said.
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she → say → ?
“I feel so betrayed.”
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I → feel → ?
CBC News talked with more than 30 affected people across Canada in the past month, who all received PFLs on the same date, telling them they have 30 days to prove they are not active members of the IRGC.
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they → talk → IRGC
They say there are more than 400 families in limbo, and even after staging multiple protests across major Canadian cities and contacting local MPs, their efforts have been in vain.
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efforts → say → vain
They came to Canada for safety.
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They → come → safety
Now they’re suspected of supporting the regime they fled
The cost of the Canadian dream
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they → suspect → dream
In an emailed statement, IRCC said the safety and security of Canadians and the fair and consistent application of Canada’s immigration laws are priorities for the department.
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safety → email → department
“IRCC has not adopted a blanket approach to individuals who completed compulsory military service.
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who → adopt → service
We recognize that some individuals may have served because of conscription.
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individuals → recognize → conscription
Each case is assessed on its individual facts and circumstances, and compulsory service alone does not necessarily result in inadmissibility,” IRCC spokesperson Anahita Beladi said.
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Beladi → assess → inadmissibility
They are a routine and well-established part of the immigration decision-making process, with thousands sent regularly.”
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thousands → establish → process
IRCC added the standardized letter templates are used for consistency and to clearly explain the concerns being raised.
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templates → add → concerns
IRCC did not confirm the number of letters sent to PR applicants with IRGC ties.
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IRCC → confirm → ties
'We live in darkness'
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We → live → darkness
Winnipeg resident Mahdi Shahmohammadi said he applied for his PR in 2022, and it took IRCC more than four years to issue him the PFL for his IRGC conscription in early 2000s.
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it → say → 2000s
“We live in darkness.
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We → live → darkness
There's a foggy road in front of us, and it doesn't matter how powerful our headlights are.
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headlights → be → us
We can't see anything,” he said.
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he → see → anything
Shahmohammadi said he works in quality control in Manitoba and worries about his future as his permit expires next March.
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permit → say → future
He said it’s “a nightmare” to be put in this delay.
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it → say → delay
…and 26 more, not listed.
The Aporia
