Iranian conscripts call for immigration exemption after mandatory service

Human rights advocates and members of the Iranian community in Canada are urging the government to stop automatically blocking immigrants who were forced to serve in Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

Former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conscripts attending a Parliament Hill press conference Tuesday said they're being punished for being forced to serve in what the Canadian government considers a terrorist entity.

Ardeshir Zarezadeh, president of the International Centre for Human Rights, said he's spoken with more than 200 IRGC conscripts in the last few months who have received letters saying they are inadmissible to Canada because of their compulsory service.

"Those conscripts never intended to serve in IRGC. They have no ideological belongings to Islamic regime's policies, and they never intended to serve IRGC. It's a part of a man's life in Iran. It's routine process," he said. 

Lorne Waldman, an immigration lawyer who attended the press conference, said he's heard more than 500 of these letters have been sent to former IRGC conscripts.

"We did 40 in our office and we couldn't take all the requests that we got. So it's a significant number, hundreds for sure," Waldman said.

Zarezadeh said when a man comes of age in Iran they have mandatory service in either the IRGC, military or police. He said conscripts will be assigned to one of those organizations. 

Farzin Jafari, an Ottawa-based software engineer, is one of those former IRGC conscripts who said he's at risk of being deemed inadmissible. He said he came to Canada to continue his education, build a career and "build a different future."

"Today, my daughter is growing up as a Canadian. When I look at her, I see one of the most important reasons I choose to be my life here. I want her to grow up free to choose. What she believes, how she lives, what she wears and who she wants to become," he said

"I believe we can be firm against the IRGC while recognizing a fundamental principle of fairness. People should be assessed based on their own choices, conduct and individual circumstances. Not simply on an assignment imposed on them."

Jafari and other Iranians at the press conference said they support the IRGC's terrorist designation.

Alberta Conservative MP Garnett Genuis told the press conference the government should adopt legislation he tabled in 2023 which would have created an immigration exemption for IRGC conscripts.

That legislation, which did not make it past first reading, proposed establishing an IRGC conscript seeking permanent residency would be deemed not to be a member if its proven they did not stay past their mandatory service period and did not engage in terror or human rights abuses.

Zarezadeh said he has raised the issue with the parliamentary secretaries for public safety and immigration and they said they would look into it.

Iranian-Canadians rallied on Parliament Hill today to draw attention to the issue and call for a solution.

The Canadian Press has reached out to the immigration department for comment but has not received a response.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2026.

By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.