Farzin Jafari is grappling with a difficult decision: either wait and hope for permission to stay in Canada with his family or risk separation from his wife and infant daughter if he is deemed ineligible and forced to return to Iran.
Jafari is among numerous permanent residency applicants who recently received Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, indicating potential inadmissibility due to ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), designated as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government in 2024.
Having served in the IRGC, Jafari emphasized that he had no control over his service assignment, stating, “You can’t say, ‘I don’t want this.'” He clarified, “I’m not IRGC. I’m a victim of IRGC.”
The IRGC, a powerful branch of the Iranian military, requires all Iranian men above 18 to undergo compulsory military service, impacting their civil rights if they do not comply. Jafari completed his service in 2011, working in an administrative role, before moving to Canada in 2021 with his wife to seek a safer environment following concerns for their safety in Iran.
Since their application for permanent residency, the Canadian government’s IRGC designation has raised uncertainties for Jafari and others in similar situations, with PFL recipients expressing fears of rejection and potential repercussions if they return to Iran.
Amidst the ongoing assessments of potential ties to the IRGC, applicants find it challenging to prove their non-affiliation post-mandatory service, as the IRGC does not maintain exit records. Advocates stress the involuntary nature of conscription for many, urging a distinction between coerced conscripts and willing volunteers.
While Canada has temporarily halted the removal of inadmissible individuals to Iran due to safety concerns, Jafari remains in limbo, anxiously waiting for a resolution to his uncertain future in Canada.