'Disgusted' immigration minister looking into revoking citizenship of Toronto terror suspect
Minister says he's ordered deputy minister to review timeline of events
The federal government is looking into whether the citizenship of a man accused of planning a terror attack in Toronto should be revoked, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday.
"I'm as disgusted as any Canadian. But I have a responsibility to get to the bottom of it and I will," he said during a morning news conference in Church Point, N.S.
"I'm also going to take the next step, which is to start the preliminary work with the evidence at hand to look at whether the individual in question's citizenship should be revoked."
Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and his son Mostafa Eldidi, 26, face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for the benefit or at the direction of a terrorist group.
When police announced the arrests late last month they said the two men were "in the advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto."
The father, who is also accused of committing an aggravated assault in 2015 for the benefit of the Islamic State somewhere outside of Canada, has Canadian citizenship, authorities say. Police said the son does not have citizenship.
Authorities have said part of the case is a graphic video allegedly showing Ahmed Eldidi taking part in that 2015 assault.
Officials have not confirmed whether the senior Eldidi received citizenship before or after the alleged assault abroad.
When asked about the timeline on Wednesday, Miller said he would "like to give a better answer, frankly, today and I don't have one."
The minister said he's ordered his deputy minister to review the timeline of events, including what was known and when.
"I hope to be able to provide answers in a relatively short timeline about what happened," he told reporters.
Miller added that he may be limited in what he can disclose, given the ongoing court case.
"Canadians deserve answers," he said.
A person's Canadian citizenship can be revoked if it was obtained by false representation or fraud, or by knowingly concealing material circumstances.
If Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada suspects misrepresentation, it's empowered to launch an investigation and begin collecting evidence. The department must alert the subject of the investigation and ask them respond to the allegations.
If the department feels the revocation should go forward, the minister can start an action before the Federal Court.
Ultimately, the court rules on revocation unless the individual involved asks that the minister make the decision. The Federal Court also can declare someone inadmissible "on grounds of security, violating human or international rights, or organized criminality."
That process was implemented through controversial changes to the Citizenship Act, and subsequent court ruling, during the Liberal government's first term.
The Liberals campaigned on a promise to change how citizenship revocation works, repealing many of the previous Conservative government's changes. The ensuing debate spawned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's famous "a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian" line.
In 2017, that bill received royal assent, ridding the Citizenship Act of a provision that strips dual citizens of their Canadian status if they're convicted of terrorism, treason or espionage.
Opposition calls for answers
Conservative immigration critic Tom Kmiec said his party supports revoking citizenship "for those who were inadmissible when they entered Canada and first applied for status, in line with this longstanding Canadian law."
"Trudeau and the Liberal government failed to protect our national security and our people," he said in a media statement.
"They need to be open and transparent with Canadians in providing answers and it is up to this government to uphold the law and do its job."
NDP critic Jenny Kwan urged Miller to begin the revocation process.
"People are rightfully furious and deeply concerned to learn that a man allegedly linked to a terrorist group and heinous terrorist acts was given Canadian citizenship by the Liberal government," she said in a statement.
"This alarming failure only adds to the concerns that Canadians already have about Canada's public safety and immigration system."
On Tuesday, a parliamentary committee agreed to investigate the case amid questions about the immigration screening process for both men.
The committee hearings, set to begin later this month, will likely zero in on Canada's immigration process, its security screening capacity and how security officials handle domestic threats.
The accused are scheduled to be back in court later this week.
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