The federal government will use provisions under the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to target members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and prevent its top members from entering Canada..But the government stopped short of officially declaring it a terrorist organization.."The actions we have taken and are announcing today are some of the strongest measures anywhere against Iran," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) announced on Friday. "We are using the most powerful tools at our disposal to crack down on this brutal regime.".This move comes after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.) heavily criticized the federal government for not listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Whil the IRGC's Quds Force has been added to the list, the federal government has not added the rest of the IRGC to it, despite MPs passing a motion in 2018 calling on them to do so..On Jan. 8, 2020, the IRGC fired two surface-to-air missiles at a Ukraine International Airlines plane that had just taken off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims has also called for Ottawa to add the IRGC to the list of terrorist organizations in response to the incident..During Question Period on Tuesday, Poilievre repeatedly asked Trudeau whether the IRGC was a terrorist organization, a question which Trudeau refused to answer..READ MORE: 'Yes or no' Poilievre grills Trudeau on whether the IRGC is a terrorist organization.Trudeau said the federal government has plans to “massively expand” sanctions against Iran, although he offered few details. Earlier this week, the government put sanctions on 34 Iranians and Iranian entities, which included members of the IRGC..For weeks, Iranians have been taking part in massive protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being arrested for improperly wearing a headscarf. "To the strong, resilient and proud Iranian-Canadian community. We hear your voices. We heard your calls for action," Trudeau said..Trudeau's government also announced $76 million in funding to enforce sanctions and to help the RCMP focus on Iranian money laundering and foreign interference. "This will ensure we can move more quickly to freeze and seize sanctioned individuals' assets, building on new authorities we introduced in just the last budget," he said..Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (University—Rosedale, Ont.) called the Iranian regime a state sponsor of terrorism, adding that it is "repressive, theocratic and misogynist." Freeland said the IRGC's leadership will be placed under the strongest provision of IRPA, barring over 10,000 members of the organization, roughly 50%, from entering and doing business in Canada.."The IRGC leadership are terrorists and the IRGC is a terrorist organization," she said. "By listing the IRGC under IRPA and indeed, by listing the broader leadership of Iranian regime, we are formally recognizing that fact and acting accordingly.".Freeland said the federal government will also be strengthening its crackdown on Iranian money laundering in Canada, as the country "will not tolerate" financial transactions with Iran that are associated with the IRGC and its proxies.
