Canada has expelled Syed Salman Samani, Iran’s former deputy interior minister and official spokesperson, after a Federal Court judge dismissed his final appeal. The decision marks the second deportation carried out under the 2022 policy that bars senior members of Iran’s repressive government from entering the country.
Background and legal process
Samani arrived in Canada in October 2021 after a career in the Islamic Republic that spanned from 2007 to 2021, during which he demonstrated “commitment and loyalty to the regime throughout his career,” according to a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) report. The Immigration and Refugee Board ordered his removal in 2024, and the Federal Court later upheld that order.
Justice Sébastien Grammond noted that Samani had told the CBSA he “had significant power and influence over government decisions.” The judge added that Samani’s ministry oversaw police forces implicated in the widespread killing of civilians and other human‑rights abuses, and that he had “publicly defended the ministry’s conduct” during the 2019 Bloody November crackdown on protesters.
Judge’s reasoning
Samani argued that he fled Iran because of the regime’s killing of demonstrators and that he feared retaliation if returned. The court rejected this claim, finding the risk of harm unlikely and outweighed by Canada’s interest in expelling individuals responsible for systematic human‑rights violations.
The judge also refused Samani’s request to keep the appeal confidential, although the case files will be sealed due to their sensitivity. Samani’s attempt to bar the press from his 2024 deportation hearing was successfully challenged by Global News.
Wider crackdown on Iranian officials
Ottawa introduced the 2022 ban on all senior Iranian officials four years ago, but enforcement has been slow. Figures released on 30 June show the CBSA has opened 181 investigations into suspected senior regime members residing in Canada. Of the 37 individuals identified as senior officials, eight left the country before their deportation hearings began.
The Immigration and Refugee Board has issued deportation orders against three further individuals deemed top regime members, while seven were found not to be senior officials. Nine cases remain before the board, the CBSA is preparing cases against another ten, and 55 investigations are ongoing.
Enforcement activity
A CBSA spokesperson said the agency continues to act to prevent Iranian regime members “from seeking or finding safe haven in Canada.” In 2025, a record 23,160 foreign nationals were removed, and the agency is currently executing roughly 400 removal orders each week. Additional enforcement officers have been hired to speed up the processing of inadmissible foreign nationals facing removal.