Rustad advocates for deporting temporary residents who cheer on Hamas

BC Conservative leader John Rustad has called for the deportation of temporary residents in the province who openly celebrate anti-Israel terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the IRGC. 

Rustad condemned the celebrations in an official party statement released on the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which a number of residents in Canada have seemingly decided to celebrate.

“I’m going to demand that our Federal Government revoke the visas of people who promote terrorist organizations,” he further stated on social media.

A number of anti-Israel protests have taken place since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 citizens. Toronto police announced last week that they’ve made 72 protest-related arrests. Police also arrested a pro-Hamas protester in January for waving a terrorist flag.

Rustad’s political rival, NDP Premier David Eby, also issued a statement condemning the October 7 celebrations taking place in BC, but didn’t go as far as encouraging deportations.

According to polls, the two remain neck-and-neck just before BC’s October 19 election.

Most residents given deportations orders remain in Canada

Since Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister, more than half of individuals given deportation orders remain in Canada.

According to the CBSA, since January 1, 2016, a total of 16,509 individuals have been given deportation orders, and as if September 2023, 9,417 of them remain in Canada (57%).

The most striking years were 2018 and 2019. In 2018, the CBSA sent deportation orders to 2,024 individuals, yet as of last September, 1,810 (89%) of them remain in the country. In 2019, the CBSA ordered 2,313 individuals to leave, yet as of last September, 2,031 of them (88%) were still in Canada.