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A French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament says she was denied entry to Canada just days before she was due to participate in a conference in Montreal.
Rima Hassan wrote online that she was “blocked” from coming to Canada in what she described as a research effort.
They are far left La France Installed The group said in a statement that Hassan’s electronic travel authorization was approved by Canadian authorities before it was revoked on Friday.
The statement says Canadian authorities say he failed to disclose previous visa refusals or denials of entry as well as criminal allegations, arrests, charges or convictions.
The group believes that his refusal of Hassan previously denied entry to Israel, and the complaints against him that they say are related to his support for Palestine and criticism of Israel.
The Canada Border Services Agency has not responded to a request for comment.
A statement from Hassan’s party said he was expected to attend a conference on the suppression of pro-Palestinian voices and another on the rise of the right to food. Hassan said he will still travel and present his lectures online.
“I was prevented from going to Canada: a disturbing obstacle to parliamentary action and freedom of speech,” he wrote in X.
“Despite all this, I will hold my two conferences remotely on Monday and Tuesday evening, which will give me the opportunity to speak against this research effort.”
NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice told The Canadian Press that he found the sudden backtracking by Canadian authorities “suspicious.”
“It seems that they want to punish Rima Hassan because of her very strong, strong, and clear positions on Palestinian issues, the question of the massacre in Gaza, and the question of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank,” he said in an interview late Saturday. “This is very suspicious, and we fear it is a political decision by Mark Carney’s Liberal government to prevent the visit of someone who might ‘remove the conflict.’
Boulerice noted that there was strong opposition to Hassan’s visit from groups including the Canadian Institute for Jewish and Israel Affairs, or CIJA.
Quebec Solidaire legislator Andrés Fontecilla asked Ottawa to explain the reasons behind the decision.
“If Ms. Hassan is indeed barred from entering Canada because of her political views, this will create a serious investigative problem and raise real concerns about democratic debate and the free exchange of ideas,” he said in an email.
The Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith praised the decision of the Canadian authorities and said it had provided the information to the CBSA.
“Thank you to @CanBorder for working with such speed and determination,” the group wrote on X on Saturday evening. “Canada is not a platform for those who condone terrorism, glorify violence, and deny Jewish history.”
CIJA also praised the decision to deny Hassan entry, but criticized that the conferences would still take place.
