After Eldidi blunder, Jewish groups concerned over Canada’s screening of Gazan refugees

OTTAWA — With the Ahmed Eldidi case revealing gaping holes in the country’s immigration security backstop, a Canadian Jewish group is urging the government proceed cautiously as Canada prepares to welcome thousands of Gazan refugees.

Testimony during Wednesday’s House Public Safety and National Security meeting startingly revealed that Eldidi — arrested with this son earlier this month in a foiled terror plot — passed nearly seven years of security screenings and background checks, despite his participation in a 2015 ISIS torture video.

With that in mind, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is calling on Immigration Minister Marc Miller to ensure security lapses are addressed as Canada prepares to accept as many as 5,000 refugees from Gaza,

“There were assurances of enhanced security screening in Cairo, and at the time we were reassuring the community there would be the due diligence we would expect the government to take,” said CIJA’s David Cooper. 

“This incident with the father and son really galvanized and put concern into our minds about if screening is sufficient, in terms of screening out potential problem people.”

That’s especially a concern, Cooper said, as Canada only learned of the plan from French intelligence.

Article content

Canada’s Gaza refugee plans triggered a July letter from United States Senators concerned Gazans with ties to terror would have easy access to the U.S.

“With little to no reliable records or background checks of these individuals from the Palestinian territories, these policies unlock opportunities for individuals with ties to terrorist groups to enter Canada, receive new forms of identification, and then try to enter the U.S. along the porous north border,” said the litter signed by six Senators. 

Recommended from Editorial

1. 

   'THE NEW SWASTIKA:' Calls grow to ban red triangle as hate symbol

2. 

   Toronto terror suspect became citizen last spring, public safety committee told

Immigration chronologies show the elder Eldidi — an Egyptian national — was initially refused but then granted a visitor visa in late 2017/early 2018.

Article content

Upon landing in Canada in Feb. 2018, Eldidi went through at least eight separate security and background screenings during his journey from refugee to Canadian citizen.

Eldidi’s citizenship was granted one month before France tipped CSIS off about the plot, and two months before he and his son were arrested in a Richmond Hill hotel room.

“We are deeply troubled by the Canadian government’s recent decision to grant visas to 5,000 residents of Gaza who are related to Canadian citizens or permanent residents, reportedly without a full security assessment conducted by Canadian authorities,” read CIJA’s letter to Minister Miller.

“While we recognize the humanitarian motivations behind this decision, it is imperative that the significant security risks that have emerged in recent events be effectively addressed.”

Canada is experiencing an unprecedented spike in hate crimes and antisemitism since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, with anti-Israel extremists leading intimidation marches through Jewish neighbourhoods, or establishing anti-Israel encampments on school campuses.

[email protected]
X: @bryanpassifiume

Article content