Canadian border authorities have identified nearly 30 suspected senior Iranian officials who they believe should be barred from remaining in the country under a federal ban, amid a widening conflict in the Middle East that could see more regime officials seek refuge.
The Canada Border Services Agency has been investigating 95 cases involving possible high-ranking members of the Iranian regime, up from 66 last June, according to figures provided by the agency.
Of those 95, the CBSA has identified 28 people it believes are inadmissible since senior Iranian officials were banned from the country in November, 2022. That number is up from 20 last year.
But the CBSA has so far removed only one official from Canada – a number that remains unchanged from last year.
While the cases wind their way through Canada’s immigration system, there are concerns the war in Iran could drive more officials to try to enter the country, despite Canada’s efforts to keep them out.
“The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) closely monitors all international developments which could give bad actors a greater motive to seek safe haven in Canada, so that we may anticipate and thwart unauthorized travel attempts,” spokesperson Luke Reimer said in a statement.
“There are already strong measures in place to prevent senior officials of the Iranian regime, members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and other inadmissible persons from gaining entry to Canada.”
The IRGC, often described as an “elite” military force and charged with defending Iran’s Islamic ideals, reports directly to the supreme leader. It was designated a terrorist organization by Canada in 2024.
The border agency says that as of Feb. 5, one of the 28 individuals had been removed from Canada, and two others had been issued deportation orders for their ties to the Iranian regime. Those numbers have not changed since June, 2025.
A further five have been deemed admissible by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, though the agency has appealed four of those decisions. The CBSA has dropped four of the 28 cases. The agency says cases can be withdrawn for several reasons including if an individual leaves the country.
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The investigations are the result of the November, 2022 ban targeting those who had been in the top echelons of the Iranian regime.
The ban, first aimed at officials serving in the regime since 2019, followed the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly, sparking global protests. At the time, Ottawa designated Iran a regime “that has engaged in terrorism and systematic and gross human-rights violations.”
Two years later, the federal government extended the ban to senior officials who had served in the regime since June 22, 2003 – the day Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was arrested in Tehran. She was tortured and died a few weeks later.
The designation applies to Iranian heads of state, cabinet members, ambassadors, senior diplomats, members of the judiciary, senior military, intelligence officials and senior public servants, who are forbidden from entering or staying in Canada.
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All Iranian citizens must apply for a visa in order to enter Canada, with applications assessed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. If concerns are flagged by IRCC, they can refer the application to the CBSA for an in-depth security screening, or to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, if warranted. If a “non-favourable admissibility recommendation” is determined, IRCC then makes the final decision on whether to issue or deny the visa, said Mr. Reimer.
A total of 239 visas have been cancelled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the border agency says.
The IRCC did not respond to a request for comment.
Mojdeh Shahriari, a Vancouver-based refugee lawyer, believes there are hundreds of senior Iranian officials living in Canada who are not under investigation.
Ms. Shahriari is a co-founder of StopIRGC, a volunteer group that investigates public tips about suspected officials in Canada. She said her group has reported 93 cases to law-enforcement agencies but has identified nearly 600 people with possible ties to the regime.
“My conclusion, unfortunately, is that not much has been done,” she said. “When you have just one person deported, that speaks volumes.”
Ms. Shahriari, who fled Iran and came to Canada as a refugee in 1986, believes the border agency lacks the resources to properly tackle the issue. Iranian officials are also “well-equipped” to navigate Canada’s immigration system and delay their removal, she said.
“It’s just how the system is, and they are taking advantage of that.”
Ms. Shahriari fears that the war in Iran could prompt more regime officials to flee to Canada, where she said some already have family members. High-ranking officials “will have all sorts of covers for themselves,” she said. “So that’s not going to be difficult for them to do.”
Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman has also criticized the government for the slow pace of deportations.
“Why has removal been so ineffective?” she said in a recent social-media statement. “Kick them out.”
The war in the Middle East escalated on Thursday as U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran continued and Iran struck back against U.S. allies in the region.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has not ruled out the possibility of Canadian military deployment as part of the widening conflict.
With reports from Steven Chase