EXCLUSIVE: Prominent remigration activist says Canadian officials may deny him entry ahead of nationalist conference

CALGARY — Martin Sellner, a controversial Austrian remigration activist who has been invited to speak at an upcoming nationalist conference in Hamilton, says Canadian immigration officials have left his travel application to enter the country unresolved for more than a month as political opposition to the event intensifies.The 37-year-old Sellner told the Western Standard that he applied for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to attend the Dominion Society of Canada’s DomCon 2026 event on August 29 as one of the keynote speakers but has yet to hear back from Canadian authorities.He said the application would normally be a formality and that immigration officials state that an applicant will be advised within 72 hours of the next steps in the process, but after a month, he has still not received a response.“My suspicion is [Canadian officials] will just drag it out, and they will probably deny it after the event or one day before the event, so we cannot take any legal measures,” Sellner said.“That's my estimation.”.Instagram suspends Dominion Society accounts ahead of controversial Hamilton conference.Previously, Sellner — an Austrian nationalist who advocates for large-scale remigration of immigrants from European countries — was permanently banned from the United Kingdom in 2019 after UK authorities determined that his presence in the country posed a threat. He was also banned from entering Germany in 2024 following controversy over a nationalist gathering.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) previously told the Western Standard it could not comment on individual cases such as Sellner’s due to privacy laws.“All persons seeking to come to Canada must meet the eligibility and admissibility requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” the department said.“Decisions regarding the granting of travel documents are made independently, on a case-by-case basis, by trained officers.”.Sellner said Canadian authorities have not contacted him or asked about his previous entry bans in Europe but added Canada could follow the UK’s example by barring him and claiming he is a threat to public safety.“I think there's no good reason for Canada to deny me entry,” he stated.“I'll spend money there. So I'll make Canada richer. I just give a talk at a completely peaceful political venue, and I think if they deny me entry, it's an absolutely political bias and an act of political repression.”Sellner said he intends to fly from Austria to Canada, possibly connecting through Frankfurt, but acknowledged he wouldn’t be permitted to board a Canada-bound flight without the required travel documents.If he is denied entry to Canada, Sellner said he would address DomCon remotely, while he and the Dominion Society would explore legal action.“We'll definitely find a way where how I can address the Canadian patriots. They can ban people, but they cannot block ideas from entering countries,” he said.“I think especially when Canada lets in many, many people who are not good for Canadian society, that it would be even more hypocritical to not let me in... The so-called free West is not very free if you're criticizing the ethnic replacements of the peoples who created this very West.”.Sellner’s comments come after the controversy surrounding the Dominion Society’s event escalated on Tuesday when Liberal MP Aslam Rana (Hamilton Centre) issued a statement accusing the conference of being a “white supremacist” gathering and the organization of promoting “a racist and extremist ideology masquerading as a nationalist movement.”“Hamilton has already seen a significant increase in hate crimes,” Rana said.“Residents have a fundamental right to feel safe in their homes, on their streets, and in their places of worship. Organizations and events like these only work to divide Canadians and seek to pit neighbour against neighbour.”He added that his office had contacted the “appropriate authorities,” who were “aware of the event, actively working on the issue and standing ready to provide assistance in case of any disruptions.”Dominion Society founder Daniel Tyrie responded on Wednesday by saying that Rana’s statement was an “inappropriate abuse of his office” and that the MP had used his authority to “baselessly smear the Dominion Society and our upcoming conference.”.Tyrie emphasized that his organization had never been charged with or convicted of any hate-related or other criminal offence and that it “categorically rejects political violence.”“The Dominion Society is a lawful nationalist organization committed to peaceful political action,” Tyrie said in an official statement.“We advance our ideas through debate, democratic participation, community organizing, and peaceful assembly.”He then accused Rana of making dangerous statements that could lead to violence against the organization’s supporters and of conflating controversial political beliefs with extremism.“This rhetoric fuels a toxic environment of political polarization in which genuine extremists feel increasingly justified in using intimidation and violence against law-abiding Canadians,” Tyrie stated.A previous incident involving one of DomCon's upcoming speakers, Alexandre Cormier-Denis, was cited by Tyrie as an example of this.“[Cormier-Denis] had his vehicle set on fire earlier this summer while attending a political event in Quebec City,” Tyrie said, adding that elected officials should be working to stop acts of political extremism such as arson.“A Member of Parliament should understand the difference between political views he opposes and a genuine threat to public safety. [Rana] must retract and apologize for his inappropriate comments immediately.”

EXCLUSIVE: Prominent remigration activist says Canadian officials may deny him entry ahead of nationalist conference

Related Stories

Instagram suspends Dominion Society accounts ahead of controversial Hamilton conference

Dominion Society marches ahead with nationalist conference despite Hamilton mayor’s opposition, political pressure

Ottawa launches $100M steel shipping rebate

Former Dominion Society director addresses resignation, says opponents ‘desperate’ to stop remigration message