Tunisian dictator's family 'not welcome' in Canada: PM

[struggle4progress]

Source: Montreal Gazette

By Mark Kennedy
Postmedia News
January 28, 2011 3:09 AM

Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Thursday waded into the politically charged debate over unrest in Africa, saying members of the deposed regime in Tunisia are "not welcome" in Canada and that he supports calls for "democratic development" in Egypt.

Harper made the comments after a meeting with Moroccan Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, where the two discussed the recent wave of unrest hitting nations in North Africa.

The prime minister, who spoke cautiously about the issue on the eve of his arrival here, was much more forceful on Thursday.

Harper made it clear that his government applauds the recent revolt in Tunisia that led to the exile of its former dictator, president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ...

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Tunisian+dictator+family+welcome+Canada/4182218/story.html

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Tunisian+dictator+family+welcome+Canada/4182218/story.html

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Removal of dictator's family from Canada could be lengthy affair: Expert
By Bradley Bouzane and Marian Scott
Postmedia News
January 27, 2011

Despite reports that the brother-in-law of Tunisia's former dictator was stripped of his Canadian residency Thursday, one legal expert says it may be a while before he is removed from the country.

Sharryn Aiken, an immigration and refugee law expert at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., said the case involving Belhassen Trabelsi, whose family has been living in a swank hotel near Montreal, is not as simple as revoking his permanent residency and kicking him out of Canada.

Media reports on Thursday said that Trabelsi had his Canadian residency revoked, but the Canada Border Services Agency — the lead federal department on the case — refused to answer any questions on the matter Thursday.

"This could be very drawn out," Aiken said. "Permanent residents have more rights than what are called foreign nationals to challenge removal decisions and that's understandable because once someone is given resident status, there's a sense that there's an attachment to the country. The removal procedure (for a permanent resident) is not necessarily expedited, put it that way." ...

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Removal+dictator+family+from+Canada+could+lengthy+affair+Expert/4180453/story.html