On June 19, 2024, Canada designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization; an important and necessary step to hold those responsible for violence and repression accountable.
At the time of this announcement, the Government reassured that individuals who had been forcibly conscripted into the IRGC would not be adversely impacted.
Unfortunately, the lived experience of many now tells a different story.
Thousands of Iranian men were compelled into service through a mandatory draft system; without choice, without ideological alignment, and under threat of punishment. Many of these individuals have since built stable, meaningful lives in Canada. They study, work, raise families, and contribute to their communities.
Yet today, many of them are facing severe consequences due solely to their conscription:
- -Permanent residence and temporary applications are being refused;
- -Individuals are being deemed inadmissible;
- -Others are trapped for years in prolonged security screenings, despite having no involvement in repression or wrongdoing.
The human cost is significant. Families are left in uncertainty. Careers and future plans are disrupted. Years of life are overshadowed by fear, instability, and procedural limbo, all because of a service obligation they had no power to refuse.
These individuals were victims of an authoritarian system, not participants in its abuses. Treating them as if they were voluntary members is both unjust and inconsistent with the principles Canada committed to uphold.
Canada must reaffirm its commitment to fairness and proportionality by clearly distinguishing between those who enforced repression and those who were themselves subjected to coercion.
Who We Are
Unheard Conscripts Advocacy Network (UCAN) is a voluntary, community-led group based in Canada.
We represent a group of Iranian nationals who were randomly and forcibly conscripted into the IRGC under Iran’s mandatory draft system, without choice, consent, or ideological alignment.
Our Mission
Our mission is to stand with individuals who have been unfairly affected by Canada’s terrorist designation of the IRGC, despite having had no choice or voluntary involvement.
We work to bring attention to the injustices faced by former conscripts and their families, many of whom now live in Canada, contribute meaningfully to their communities, and seek only fairness and clarity in how the policy is applied.
Our Stance on the IRGC Listing
UCAN fully supports Canada’s designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The IRGC is a repressive, violent institution responsible for widespread human rights abuses inside Iran and beyond.
However, forcibly conscripted individuals are NOT members of the IRGC. They did not join voluntarily, did not exercise agency, and should not be treated as affiliates of a terrorist organization solely because they were compelled to serve under Iran’s mandatory draft laws.
These conscripts have no role in policy, command, or decision-making and are typically assigned menial, low-level, non-strategic tasks under coercion, under threat of punishment.
Holding victims of coercion to the same standard as commanders and voluntary participants undermines the purpose of the listing and contradicts fundamental principles of fairness and justice.
Unintended Consequences of the IRGC Listing
Long-Term Uncertainty
Years of unresolved applications and uncertainty prevent families from planning their futures, blocking job promotions, home ownership, further education, and long-term stability.
Family-Wide Harm
The consequences extend far beyond the individual applicant. Inadmissibility affects entire families, including spouses and even children, placing them under sustained legal, emotional, and financial pressure.
Global Immigration Barriers
Being labelled as a potential terrorism affiliate carries serious long-term consequences, blocking immigration pathways in Canada and other countries for conscripts and their families.
Policy Gap
These harms stem from a gap between the intent of the IRGC listing and its real-world application, which continues to penalize individuals who were coerced, transparent, and acting in good faith.
100+
Procedural Fairness Letters Issued
The Cost of Delay
Average processing times for affected cases have extended from 12 months to an indefinite hold, with some cases reportedly remaining unresolved for more than 60 months, leaving families in a state of perpetual limbo. Real people. Real families. Real stories of waiting and uncertainty; Read their Stories Here
Broken Official Assurances
Prior to the IRGC’s designation, Canadian officials publicly assured that forcibly conscripted individuals would not be affected by the listing. These assurances were critical for applicants who relied on Canada’s stated position and complied fully with immigration requirements.
However, immediately following the designation, former conscripts who had honestly disclosed their mandatory service during their application process began receiving procedural fairness letters (PFLs) explicitly referencing their mandatory conscription as a basis for putting them at the risk of inadmissibility.
In practice, conscription itself, despite being forced and involuntary, has become a primary trigger for heightened scrutiny, refusals, and prolonged delays. This outcome stands in direct contradiction to the assurances provided and penalizes individuals for transparency rather than misconduct.
The resulting gap between official statements and real-world application has caused serious legal, emotional, and familial harm to individuals who relied on Canada’s commitments in good faith and sought only a fair and lawful assessment of their cases.
How to Fix This
UCAN calls for a clear, formal, and enforceable exemption for individuals who were forcibly conscripted into the IRGC.
Our requests in simple terms:
- – Explicit recognition that mandatory conscription does NOT constitute membership
- – Establishment of a clear operational guidance for immigration officers
- – Consistent screening criteria that distinguish victims from perpetrators
- The legal and administrative actions we call for to solve this problem:
Ministerial Guidance
We urge the Minister to issue formal guidance clarifying that, for the purposes of paragraph 34(1)(f) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), a permanent resident or foreign national shall not be deemed a member of a listed organization if:
The individual can reasonably demonstrate that their affiliation with the IRGC resulted solely from mandatory military conscription
The affiliation did not extend beyond the compulsory service period, and
During that period, the individual did not commit acts contrary to international human rights law or pose a danger to Canada’s security
Specialized Review Unit
We request that the Minister establish a specialized unit within IRCC and CBSA to handle cases involving security-based inadmissibility of Iranian nationals, including matters under section 34(1)(f) of the IRPA and alleged human or international rights violations. Such a unit would:
Provide officers with access to Department of Justice counsel
Allow consultation with subject-matter experts on Iran
Ensure informed decision-making that reflects the realities of mandatory conscription
Expedited Ministerial Relief Process
We also ask that a clear and expedited process be established for granting ministerial relief under section 42.1(1) of the IRPA for individuals found inadmissible solely due to mandatory conscription into the IRGC.
This process should be administered by the specialized unit to ensure:
Fair and consistent decisions
Reduced hardship for affected Iranian-Canadian families
Timely resolution of cases involving individuals who acted under coercion