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Iranian officials are banned from Canada — but this former regime member landed in April

🇮🇷 A Former Iranian Regime Insider Just Landed in Canada. Here’s Why That’s Raising Eyebrows



In April, Mahdi Nasiri — a former high-ranking Iranian official — posted smiling selfies at the airport, announcing to his 250K Instagram followers: “I’ve arrived in Canada.” The problem? People like him are officially banned from entering the country.

🚫 A Government Ban That Was Supposed to Keep People Like Him Out

Back in 2022, after multiple reports of Iranian Canadians facing threats, harassment, and even death plots traced back to Tehran, the Canadian government cracked down. It banned all senior officials from the Iranian regime who served from 2003 onwards, saying they were involved in terrorism or serious human rights abuses.

And yet — Nasiri is here.

🛬 How Did He Get In?

Nasiri says he applied for a visitor visa in 2023 from Istanbul, before the government expanded the ban. The visa was granted within days, and he flew in, invited by his son — a Canadian citizen.

He insists he didn’t need to disclose his past regime roles because immigration officials only asked about the last 10 years.

🧑‍💼 Who Is Mahdi Nasiri?

Nasiri is no small-time figure. In the early 2000s, he ran Kayhan, a state-backed ultra-conservative newspaper funded by Iran’s Supreme Leader. He also held a senior religious-political role overseeing Friday prayers — a powerful tool the regime uses to spread political messaging.

Though he claims he’s been a vocal critic of the regime for the past six years, many Iranian Canadians aren’t buying it.

🇨🇦 Iranians in Canada Sound the Alarm

Activists and experts are now demanding answers.

  • 🗣️ “It sets off alarm bells,” said Kaveh Shahrooz, a human rights lawyer who has faced threats himself.

  • 📚 Criminology professor Kelly Sundberg says the immigration system is broken: “It’s at a point of crisis.”

Other experts say it’s a common trick — some former regime members flip their stance once in the West to gain refugee status or avoid deportation.

🔍 Is He Under Investigation?

Nasiri says he’s not facing any hearings or investigations — but wouldn’t give a straight answer about his last job in Iran.

Meanwhile, Canadian authorities won’t comment on individual cases. Immigration officials say visas can be revoked if someone is found to be inadmissible — but critics say that rarely happens.

According to government stats:

  • 130 Iranian regime-linked visas have been cancelled.

  • Only 3 people have been issued deportation letters.

  • Just 1 senior official has actually been removed from Canada.

💬 “How Did He Get a Visa in the First Place?”

That’s the big question from community advocates like Mojdeh Shahriari, a Vancouver immigration lawyer. She’s part of a grassroots effort tracking over 375 suspected regime members living in Canada.

“Whether or not he’s genuinely changed doesn’t matter. The law is clear. He shouldn't be here,” she says.

🧠 Bottom Line: Canada banned former Iranian regime officials for a reason — but this case shows major cracks in the system. Many are now asking if enough is being done to keep those linked to authoritarian regimes out of safe democratic countries.


Referance:  https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/former-iranian-regime-official-in-canada-1.7571903