OTTAWA – An Iranian man is challenging the federal government’s decision to deny him a permit to study at a Montreal university, since he is considered a danger to the security of Canada.
A lawyer for Reza Jahantigh says his client was worried upon learning of the refusal and will seek judicial review in Federal Court.
Last month, the Immigration Department’s decision is the latest indication where Ottawa is tightening restrictions on academics deemed to pose a national security risk.
In October 2019, Jahantigh applied for a study permit to follow a PhD in computer engineering at Montreal’s École de technologie supérieure, a university which specializes in applied engineering.
Beginning in 2020, Jahantigh, whose research is connected to blockchain technology, finished the first semesters of his program online from Iran. However, the program wanted him to attend in person for the remaining courses of his doctorate degree.
Lawyer Samin Mortazavi, who represents Jahantigh, says he has found no signs, that the student’s activities pose a danger to Canada.
In an interview, Mortazavi said that, he doesn’t see any security issue and he’s just a typical PhD student.
In December 2022, after waiting more than three years on his study permit application, Jahantigh asked the Federal Court to intervene and ask the Immigration Department to make a decision.
Last September, the day before the court application was to be heard, a Canadian immigration officer in Ankara, Turkey, delivered a letter saying that the department had reasonable grounds to believe Jahantigh may be inadmissible to Canada under federal immigration law for being a danger to the security of Canada.
The unnamed officer noted Jahantigh, now 33, had declared his service in the Iranian military as a technician from June 2016 to March 2018. At a private firm, Jahantigh became a full-time employee, rising to the position of senior software engineer.
The immigration officer expressed concern about the work you could have engaged in at the company, previous work as a research assistant and possible future research areas while completing your doctorate studies which may be considered as sensitive areas of research.
There is no requirement which an individual who is inadmissible to Canada on security grounds be personally involved in acts of violence, the officer’s letter reads. The threat need not be direct; rather it may be grounded in distant events which indirectly have a real possibility of harming Canadian security.
Mortazavi said Jahantigh, like other young Iranian men, was asked to do a couple of years of military service.
In addition, the lawyer said that, the private company which hired Jahantigh is involved in video game development and not work related to the Iranian government, the lawyer said.
The immigration officer gave Jahantigh 30 days to submit additional information.
On Dec. 18, the department confirmed its initial finding and rejected Jahantigh’s permit application on security grounds.
Ottawa advises that hostile nations try to exploit key segments of Canada’s economy to advance their own strategic military, intelligence, security and economic interests. Canada has issued research security guidelines which helps to protect institutions and intellectual property.
Last week in a ruling released, the Federal Court supported a decision to deny a study permit to a Chinese man who was ruled inadmissible to Canada on security grounds.
In that case, the court confirmed a finding, where there were reasonable grounds to believe that Yuekang Li may involve in an act of espionage against Canada.
Li, who wanted to study at the University of Waterloo, had got a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from a university in China which has a strong relationship with the defense industry in that country.
