Federal government banning former Iranian minister from gaining temporary residency
CBC
The federal government will deny former Iranian health minister Seyed Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi temporary residency following reports that he was spotted in Montreal earlier this summer.
"Based on an assessment of the relevant facts recently brought to my attention, I have exercised my authority under s. 22.1 of the IRPA to prevent Mr. Seyed Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi from becoming a temporary resident of Canada for the maximum period of 36 months," Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Monday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which Miller cited in his statement, allows the immigration minister to deny anyone temporary residency if the minister is "of the opinion that it is justified by public policy considerations."
Miller said his decision was a response to Iran's human rights record.
"The actions of the Iranian regime are reprehensible, and those who bear responsibility have no place in Canadian society," he wrote in his statement.
A number of posts on X began circulating in early August allegedly showing a photo of Hashemi walking in Montreal.
Iran International, a U.S.-based news outlet focused on the Iranian diaspora, first reported on the photo, claiming it was a screengrab from a promotional video for Quebec's tourism industry. CBC News has not confirmed independently that Hashemi was in Montreal.
A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, citing protections under the Privacy Act, said the government can't confirm that Hashemi was in Canada in recent weeks.
Hashemi served as Iran's minister of health
