Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that he would permanently ban 10,000 officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from entering the country through special immigration measures that involve listing the IRGC on Canada’s list of designated terrorist organizations for the purposes of immigration and refugee matters.
The decision comes after weeks of rolling protests both in Iran and here in Canada over the death of 22-year-old Maha Amini.
Amini died while in police custody after she was detained for allegedly breaking the nation’s strict mandatory veiling laws. Opponents of the regime have called the death a murder.
Trudeau made the announcement alongside Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
“The designation of the regime is a permanent decision. This means that over 10,000 IRGC members will be inadmissible to Canada, forever,” said Trudeau.
Trudeau also announced another series of sanctions and has set aside $76 million to implement said sanctions with a focus on money laundering and foreign interference.
“Second, we intend to massively expand sanctions under the Special Economic Measures act to hold those most responsible for Iran’s egregious behaviour,” explained Trudeau.
“We heard your call for action,” Trudeau said. “We stand with you.”
The Conservatives have come out in support of regime change in Iran and have participated in many of the protests throughout Canada.
“If you can’t be unequivocal about a brutal religious dictatorship who kills their own people, then I’m not sure what we’re all discussing here,” said Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman last week when asked about the prospect of regime change.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre attended a 50,000 strong rally in Richmond Hill over the weekend where he reiterated his party’s stance.
“The time has come for all of us friends of freedom to gather around because the time has gone for too long. Too long we have allowed the tyrants in Tehran to terrorize the people, to steal their rights and to engage in extrajudicial arrests and disappearances,” said Poilievre.
