On June 12, 2009 honorable Jason Kenny, federal Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism met with three ICC board members: Firoozeh Rose Bahrami, Mehrdad Loghmani, and Behnam Esfahanizadeh.  ICC had requested this meeting to discuss the concerns of the Iranian-Canadian community especially regarding the high rate of rejection of visitor visas and mistreatment of applicants at the Canadian embassy in Iran. 

Minister Kenny stated he has deep respect for the Iranian-Canadian community who are well educated and making significant contributions economically, culturally, and academically to Canadian society. He acknowledged that the federal government has not had adequate contact with the Iranian community in Canada, especially in comparison to other ethnic communities, and would like to change that. In order to do so, community organizations such as ICC could act as a bridge to establish this continuous and effective dialogue between the government and the community to help the government understand the diversity and the needs of the Iranian community.    

ICC board members informed the Minister that the Iranian-Canadian community is alarmed by the low rate of visas granted to Iranians in general, and Iranian artists and academics in particular. The community is also concerned about the insufficient consular capacity of the Canadian embassy in Tehran, and the unprofessional and sometimes disrespectful way in which visa applicants, especially the elderly, are treated.  

Minister Kenney, while maintaining that he could not comment on the immigration officers’ decisions, acknowledged that there have been some difficulties with respect to the embassy in Tehran and they hope to make some changes in their Tehran office soon. With respect to the insufficient capacity of the embassy he responded that the government of Canada faces many challenges in Tehran for instance it is very difficult for them to obtain visas for their Foreign Service officers and their families from the government of Iran.  He promised that the visa situation in Iran will improve. He also commented that even though the general rate of visitor visas granted has been lower in the past year, the Ministry has been able to act quickly and effectively in cases involving refugees and humanitarian grounds.

ICC representatives also indicated that the Iranian-Canadian community is concerned that Canada’s federal government has not made significant investments in the well being of the community. Nor has it spent resources on outreach and research efforts related to the community in the GTA, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, and other Canadian cities.

As Minister of multiculturalism, Minister Kenny stated that his Ministry is committed to providing resources for outreach and positive initiatives within the communities and that his office will give us more information about how we can work together to address these concerns.

We also indicated that we would like the minister and other federal representatives to attend our community gatherings and events more often in order to increase understanding. In his closing remarks Minister Kenny stated that he would love to attend our events and was hopeful to continue this dialogue and to increase the contact between the Canadian federal government and the Iranian community through ICC.