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Canada is temporarily halting removals to several more Middle Eastern countries due to “volatile and unpredictable conditions” caused by the U.S.-Israel war with Iran that has spread to surrounding nations.
The temporary pause by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), known as an administrative deferral of removals, is being applied to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar due to the risks facing civilians. The CBSA temporarily paused removals to Israel and Lebanon on March 5 for the same reason.
The pause does not apply to individuals who are deemed ineligible to enter Canada on grounds of criminality, international or human rights violations, organized crime or security issues.
The CBSA says it will resume removals once the situation in the Middle East has stabilized and “the circumstances no longer pose a generalized risk to the entire civilian population.”
The agency said it removed more than 22,500 inadmissible people last year and is currently removing approximately 400 inadmissible individuals every week.
