Hey US Immigration: Canadians go to Canada.

CBC News: Canadian freed from Syrian jail set to arrive in Montreal: Here’s the short form of the story:

  • Canadian citizen (of Syrian origin) visits Tunisia.
  • Returns to Canada by way of New York (huge N. American air hub)
  • US authorities suspect he might be a mamber of al-Qaeda. Evidence or reasons given: he knew a man in Ottawa who was suspected of having links to al-Qaeda. However, the RCMP had already questioned him months before he travelled and said that he was OK.
  • Unfortunately, the person in question had not renounced his Syrian citizenship, and even though he holds Canadian citizenship for over 15 years and was travelling on a Canadian passport, they deport him to Syria.
  • The USA does not inform Canada that they have deported him to his country of birth until after the fact, and he was listed as a missing person for almost a month.
  • Because he left Syria before serving mandatory military service there, he could have been charged, tried and convicted of being a deserter. Furthermore, Syria’s human rights record with regards to prisoners is… bad.
  • Instead, they just hold him in custody, and finally Canadian officials negotiate his release.

Dear US Immigration: No one gives you the right to screw around with the citizens of other countries.

 

2 replies


  1. Behaviour to be expected from f*cking arrogant Americans…


  2. Hmm. Well, the friendly immigration folks at YYZ/Pearson can be pretty nasty too, when you have too many immigration stamps from Colombia in your passport… immigration personnel everywhere are simply uncontrolled xenophobic policemen.