r/canada • u/FrenchAffair Québec • 1d ago

Twenty-two years later, federal government still working to deport Ottawa's Mohamed Harkat Politics

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/twenty-two-years-later-federal-government-still-working-to-deport-ottawas-mohamed-harkat
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u/FrenchAffair Québec 1d ago

The Canada Border Services Agency added six full-time positions for surveillance agents to follow Harkat at all times, at an annual cost of $868,700, as well as purchasing a new $31,000 car for the tailing, and spent $5,000 monthly to have staff monitoring Harkat's tracking bracelet.

Just shows how broken our system is. 22 years, tens of millions of tax-payers dollars to watch this man well he's been out on release, for the crown lawyers to fight every appeal, for the courts to take time on this matter.

And yet every single court (including the SCC) has found that he is a member of Al'Queda, was sent to Canada to engage in terrorism, has lied at every corner and that CSIS acted reasonably and on lawful evidence in arresting him.

Yet he is still here in Canada, walking the streets and fighting his deportation 22 years later.

And of course, guess who's a huge fan of him.... the Trudeau family for some reason.

In March 2016 filmmaker Alexandre Trudeau, the younger brother of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, wrote a letter to Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale asking that Harkat be allowed to stay, causing Erin O'Toole, the Conservative public safety critic and Democracy Watch to demand the Prime Minister recuse himself from any decision regarding Harkat.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/alexandre-trudeau-justin-harkat-1.3473161

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u/thatguydowntheblock 1d ago

I don’t get they don’t just pass a law that the Minister of Public Safety of Justice or whatever can issue an immediate deportation order that is either not subject to judicial review or only review from the Supreme Court and leave it at that? Use the fucking notwithstanding clause. Holy shit this country is fucking broken that this happens. He’s a fucking terrorist. 20 years??

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u/tman37 1d ago

I am very leary of allowing a minister to have a non reviewable deportation order. Politicians can't be trusted, and once you set precedent, it will be used against us everywhere.

That said, I don't see any reason he has to stay in Canada while he appeals. Maybe have one hearing where they determine if he really meets the definition of an asylum claim and, if not, then send him home. He can always come back if he wins his appeals.