The Prime Minister’s Office and the Canada Border Services Agency say they were not “involved” or “consulted” in a parliamentary secretary’s announcement of an apparent entry ban on the controversial Irish hip-hop group Kneecap, officials said in new documents filed Monday.
Liberal MP Vince Gasparro, parliamentary secretary for fighting crime, said in a video posted on X on September 19 that the group allegedly “advocated political violence” and “glorified terrorist organizations.” The video remains online.
He said: “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I announce that, on the advice of our officials, we have deemed the Kneecap Group ineligible for entry into our country.”
In a response tabled in the House of Commons to an order paper question from NDP MP Jenny Kwan regarding the handling of the case, federal officials said they were not involved.
“The Canada Border Services Agency was not consulted regarding this announcement,” the agency said on behalf of Public Safety Canada.
CBSA officials would be responsible for administering and enforcing an entry ban against any foreign national, according to additional information provided in this response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Additionally, the Prime Minister’s Office responded that it was also “not involved in the decision of the Member for Eglinton—Lawrence to make this announcement,” using the name of Gasparro’s riding.
Kwan told Global News in an interview that “there are still a lot of unanswered questions” after the government’s response.
“He (Gasparro) said he received information from officials. So who are these officials? Who authorized him to make this announcement? It’s still not clear,” she said.
Are group members actually banned?
The portion of IRCC’s response to Kwan states that a member’s Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) had been canceled in August – a month before Gasparro’s announcement – but that the cancellation “does not prevent them from reapplying.”
The response states that in August, Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh’s eTA was canceled for inadmissibility “for failing to disclose complete and accurate information on his application”, and that he was informed of the decision.
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“He remains eligible to reapply, which will be evaluated on his own merits,” the response said.
The response made no mention of the since-dropped criminal charges against Óg Ó hAnnaidh in the United Kingdom, which accused him of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year, which Gasparro specifically cited as the reason for the apparent entry ban.
The ministry adds that the eTA applications of the two other Kneecap members, John James Ó Dochartaigh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin, “are currently under review” and that they were informed in September “not to travel to Canada until they receive further communications” from IRCC.
“How long will this review process take? » » asked Kwan. “Is there a timetable that would apply to when a decision would be made? Is this a delaying tactic?”
“It’s not a clear and transparent process. It’s not an accountable process.”
In response to Kwan’s question about whether Kneecap members are allowed to enter Canada, the IRCC states: “Inadmissibility for non-compliance generally ends once a client is no longer in a state of non-compliance” – suggesting that no indefinite entry ban is in place.
The written response was tabled in Parliament on the last day before the required 45-day deadline to do so.
Global News has reached out to Gasparro and Kneecap management for comment.
Who authorized Gasparro’s announcement?
Gasparro refused to answer questions about who authorized him to make the announcement and whether dropping the charges would mean the group could come to Canada.
Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman told Global News in an interview last month that Gasparro “either doesn’t know what’s going on in his own government or has clearly lied.”
“I suppose in any other workplace you would be reprimanded for that,” she said. “And in that case you would no longer be a parliamentary secretary.”
Lantsman said she would support a parliamentary inquiry into Gasparro and the government’s actions in the matter, “to reveal what they are not telling us.”
Kwan, who called Gasparro a “rogue liberal MP” on social media, asked last month in a letter to Immigration Minister Lena Diab whether there would be accountability if Gasparro acted unilaterally.
Kwan said Monday that she has not yet received a response to the letter and has requested a study of the issue by the House of Commons immigration committee.
However, she is unable to go further herself as she is not a member of the committee, which Kwan says has also not responded to her.
“If Conservative MPs want an answer and an open and transparent government on this issue, they need to provide real reasons for my letter to the committee,” she said.
Kneecap – who is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and critic of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza – said he does not promote Hamas, Hezbollah or any other terrorist group and does not advocate violence against Jewish people.
Óg Ó hAnnaidh claimed during his trial in the United Kingdom that a fan threw the Hezbollah flag in question onto the stage while the band was playing.
The Belfast group vowed to take legal action against Gasparro, who in turn said he was not concerned about a lawsuit.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Jewish advocacy organization B’nai Brith Canada, which had advocated for the ban, praised the government for Gasparro’s announcement.
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