IRGC Linked Official's Visa Canceled, Canada Tightens Border Controls

0:00It's May 1st. Welcome in. This is Canada News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. A former top official with Iran's football federation, Medi Taj, got a temporary resident visa to come to Canada, even though he's linked to the Reedy. Islamic Revolutionary Garcore, which Canada lists as a terrorist group. The visa got cancelled before he even touched down after an online report exposed it. Deputy Minister Lena Diabh told a House of Commons Committee she's fully accountable, but she wasn't in on the decision. Her deputy minister stressed they caught it in time and vowed it won't happen again, especially with the FIFA games coming up. They want to dig into what went wrong to tighten things up. Prime Minister Mark Carney defended the system at a press conference, saying multiple checks keep IRGC folks out, and none have entered since the terrorist label hit in June 2024. Officials like Michelle Rampel-Garner called it ridiculous, slamming the government for dodging details, and demanding a full probe.

1:03This has Iranian Canadians on edge, worried about Tehran's reach into their communities. Opposition MPs hammered the issue in question period, and the Senate pointing out process failures that could spark real tensions. Officials know one person with IRGC ties has been removed so far out of three deportation orders, with more probes ongoing. The Senate first called the Iranian regime a terror sponsor back in November 2022, and they're doubling down to make sure borders stay secure, moving forward.