Q&A: Eritreans can have Canada’s protection from country’s ‘diaspora tax’: Jason Kenney

The National Post recently revealed the Eritrean consulate in Toronto has been collecting a 2% “diaspora tax” from Eritrean-Canadians, a levy some said they paid unwillingly and called extortion. Last week, the Winnipeg Free Press reported a similar scheme in the Manitoba capital. The fundraising is controversial because of Eritrea’s brutal suppression of dissent and because the United Nations says it has been financing, training and arming African militant groups such as the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab, which has called for terrorist attacks in Canada. In an interview with reporter Stewart Bell Tuesday, Jason Kenney, the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration, said he was concerned about the issue.

Q: Eritrean-Canadians have complained they are being pressured to give money to the Eritrean government through the consulate in Toronto and community groups. Are you familiar with this and if so what do you think?

A: It certainly concerns me. If any foreign government is pressuring Canadians to do anything illicit, that’s deeply concerning to us. Our government has curtailed the ability of foreign governments to run elections in Canada using Canada as an electoral constituency, and thereby demonstrating our concern about excessive foreign interference in diaspora populations. If there was any kind of intimidation used, that’s totally unacceptable.

Q: Should Eritrea be allowed to raise funds like this when it is under UN sanctions for supporting Al-Shabab?

A: It is illegal to raise funds in Canada for proscribed terrorist entities such as Al-Shabab. And it’s illegal to do indirectly what it is illegal to do directly. So that would certainly be of concern. If there’s any evidence that funds being raised here are finding their way to Al-Shabab, I would hope that the relevant law enforcement agencies are investigating that.

Q: What if it’s more indirect in the sense the Eritrean government is raising money in Canada, then using a portion of its budget to support Al-Shabab?

A: We have clear laws on this. We expect Canadians to respect those laws, and our law enforcement agencies to ensure they are applied. What I’m saying is that, generally, if there is any foreign government using intimidation to extract payments from Canadian citizens, that would be very disturbing to us.

Q: Eritrean-Canadians complain they have come to Canada as refugees to get away from the Eritrean regime, yet find themselves pressured to give money to the very government they had fled.

A: A point well taken. I would just encourage any Canadians to realize they have no obligation to a foreign government, that if they see any illegal conduct going on they should report it to the relevant law enforcement agencies, and they have no reason to be afraid of the activities of a foreign government in Canada. People who come here, particularly those fleeing persecution, enjoy Canada’s protection, and if in any way they’re being pressured by a government that was the source of their persecution, they should report that to the relevant authorities.

(Source: National Post)

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