MPs expressed outrage and disbelief during a Commons public safety committee hearing after Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials defended the security screening that allowed two terror suspects to enter the country. Blacklock's Reporter says the agency admitted concern over the breach but maintained that its system is "robust.""We are concerned these two individuals got through," said Aaron McCrorie, vice-president of the CBSA, during his testimony. Despite acknowledging the lapse, McCrorie insisted, "I think we have a very robust system in place when it comes to security screening. We are asking ourselves, do improvements need to be made?"The hearing was held in response to the July 28 arrest of Ahmed Eldidi, 62, and his son Mostafa, 26, both of Scarborough, Ontario, on charges of plotting a terrorist attack at an undisclosed location in Toronto. Eldidi Sr. had been in Canada since 2018, arriving on a visitor's visa and claiming refugee status. Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, Ont.) raised concerns, suggesting that there was speculation Eldidi Sr. may have entered under the Syrian refugee program.Mostafa Eldidi, an Egyptian national, applied for a Canadian study permit in 2019 and was later granted refugee status. MPs expressed deep concern over how both individuals were able to pass through multiple layers of security screening."How can Canadians be sure there are proper checks in the system to ensure this didn’t happen before, that there aren’t terrorists in our midst, and that this won’t happen again?" asked Lantsman, questioning the effectiveness of the security process. "You really believed the system worked as it should?" she pressed McCrorie, who responded, "We will ask ourselves, have we missed anything?"Lantsman sharply retorted, "Of course you missed something. These guys were just arrested. A father-son duo were just arrested in a hotel room 10 minutes from the riding I represent."Liberal MP Iqwinder Gaheer (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) expressed astonishment at how quickly Eldidi Sr. was able to obtain visitor’s visas, work permits, refugee status, and permanent residency within three years. "I have lots of cases in my constituency office where an individual has applied for a visitor visa," said Gaheer. "That security screening can take years. I have cases that have been stuck in limbo for three, four, five years now, just looking at that security screening."Bloc Québécois MP Rhéal Fortin (Riviere-du-Nord, Que.) questioned the efficacy of security checks, emphasizing that their purpose is to prevent suspected terrorists from entering Canada. "I thought those individuals didn’t even come to Canada," said Fortin. "Now we are being told we let them in, and once they are here, more robust investigations are done. I find that concerning."Fortin further pressed the agency, asking, "What can be done to improve the screening process to prevent this from happening again?" McCrorie admitted, "It’s a great question. I do not have immediate views."In response, Fortin noted that other countries manage to secure their borders more effectively. "With all due respect, I think everyone is competent and serious, but there are countries that obtain better results," he said, underscoring the need for Canada to improve its screening processes.
MPs expressed outrage and disbelief during a Commons public safety committee hearing after Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials defended the security screening that allowed two terror suspects to enter the country. Blacklock's Reporter says the agency admitted concern over the breach but maintained that its system is "robust.""We are concerned these two individuals got through," said Aaron McCrorie, vice-president of the CBSA, during his testimony. Despite acknowledging the lapse, McCrorie insisted, "I think we have a very robust system in place when it comes to security screening. We are asking ourselves, do improvements need to be made?"The hearing was held in response to the July 28 arrest of Ahmed Eldidi, 62, and his son Mostafa, 26, both of Scarborough, Ontario, on charges of plotting a terrorist attack at an undisclosed location in Toronto. Eldidi Sr. had been in Canada since 2018, arriving on a visitor's visa and claiming refugee status. Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, Ont.) raised concerns, suggesting that there was speculation Eldidi Sr. may have entered under the Syrian refugee program.Mostafa Eldidi, an Egyptian national, applied for a Canadian study permit in 2019 and was later granted refugee status. MPs expressed deep concern over how both individuals were able to pass through multiple layers of security screening."How can Canadians be sure there are proper checks in the system to ensure this didn’t happen before, that there aren’t terrorists in our midst, and that this won’t happen again?" asked Lantsman, questioning the effectiveness of the security process. "You really believed the system worked as it should?" she pressed McCrorie, who responded, "We will ask ourselves, have we missed anything?"Lantsman sharply retorted, "Of course you missed something. These guys were just arrested. A father-son duo were just arrested in a hotel room 10 minutes from the riding I represent."Liberal MP Iqwinder Gaheer (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) expressed astonishment at how quickly Eldidi Sr. was able to obtain visitor’s visas, work permits, refugee status, and permanent residency within three years. "I have lots of cases in my constituency office where an individual has applied for a visitor visa," said Gaheer. "That security screening can take years. I have cases that have been stuck in limbo for three, four, five years now, just looking at that security screening."Bloc Québécois MP Rhéal Fortin (Riviere-du-Nord, Que.) questioned the efficacy of security checks, emphasizing that their purpose is to prevent suspected terrorists from entering Canada. "I thought those individuals didn’t even come to Canada," said Fortin. "Now we are being told we let them in, and once they are here, more robust investigations are done. I find that concerning."Fortin further pressed the agency, asking, "What can be done to improve the screening process to prevent this from happening again?" McCrorie admitted, "It’s a great question. I do not have immediate views."In response, Fortin noted that other countries manage to secure their borders more effectively. "With all due respect, I think everyone is competent and serious, but there are countries that obtain better results," he said, underscoring the need for Canada to improve its screening processes.
