By Canadian Press

Muslim groups ask feds ti intervene on behalf of Egyptian refugees in Vancouver

Mar 7, 2022 | 9:55 AM

OTTAWA — Dozens of Muslim Canadian organizations are urging the prime minister, public safety minister, and president of the Canada Border Services Agency to intervene on behalf of Egyptian refugee claimants in Vancouver.

The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council says the refugee claims of Abdelrahman Elmady and four other Egyptian families were denied in Vancouver because of ties to the Freedom and Justice Party in their home country. 

The council says the families were deemed a security risk because of the party’s connection to the Muslim Brotherhood, though neither group are listed as terrorist entities in Canada.

The council issued an open letter to government officials alleging the decisions of the Vancouver CBSA officers are based in individual bias and Islamophobia, and are not consistent with the agency’s decisions elsewhere in the country.

The letter is signed by 12 national and 28 regional organizations, who call for immediate relief for those whose claims have been denied and for officials to issue pre-emptive instructions to CBSA officials in Vancouver to allow similar claims for protection to proceed. 

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CBSA and the public safety minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2022.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press