Open letter: Request for CIMM to Undertake a Study into Ministerial Handling of the Kneecap Entry Controversy

October 17, 2025

MP Julie Dzerowicz
Chair, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Via E-mail: [email protected]

Dear MP Dzerowicz,

Open letter Re: Request for the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to Undertake
a Study into Ministerial Handling of the Kneecap Entry Controversy and Related Questions of Process,
Discretion, and Public Disclosure

I write in my capacity as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East to request that the Standing
Committee on Citizenship and Immigration undertake a study into the serious procedural and
accountability issues raised by the case involving the Irish band Kneecap and Canada’s immigration
decision-making process.

On September 19, 2025 MP Vince Gasparro, Parliamentary Secretary for Combatting Crime posted on X
that "On behalf of the Government of Canada I am announcing that on the advice of our officials, we
have deemed the group Kneecap ineligible to enter our country."
While the band has indicated publicly that they have not received communication or confirmation of
that fact from IRCC, due to the announcement from MP Gasparro, several concerts in Canada have
currently been cancelled.

Since then, the media has not been able to get clarification from your government about why
Parliamentary Secretary Gasparro posted the video. Neither MP Gasparro, the Justice Department,
Minister Sean Fraser nor the Prime Minister's office responded to the media for further comments. The
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship also did not confirm the ban.

In October 2, 2025's question period, I asked Minister Diab directly if she or her officials authorized
Parliamentary Secretary Gasparro to make the announcement, if yes, who authorized it? Was it the
Minister, department officials or the Prime Minister’s office? If no one authorized it, can the minister
advise what follow up action will be taken to address this serious mis-representation of authority?
The Minister refused to give a straight answer and resorted to the message box that she has been
reciting since the announcement by MP Gasparro was made.

This is an alarming circumstance that raises very serious questions about procedural fairness and
potential mis-use and mis-representation of authority.
This sequence of events has raised significant questions about:

Ministerial and parliamentary secretary discretion in individual admissibility decisions for
visiting artists and cultural performers;
The criteria and processes IRCC applies when authorizing or denying travel to Canada, especially
in cases where there is no criminal record;
Communications protocols and authorization chains that govern how, when, and by whom such
decisions can be announced;
The role of other federal partners—including CBSA, Public Safety Canada, Global Affairs Canada,
and Canada’s diplomatic missions abroad—in the decision-making and communication of this
case;
Transparency and accountability, including whether the Minister will release relevant
correspondence and guidance documents;
The need to ensure that discretionary decisions respect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and
Canada’s international obligations, particularly regarding freedom of artistic expression.

To that end, I respectfully urge the Committee to look into this matter.

Ministerial accountability includes the role of Parliamentary Secretary. It is critical that Canadians and
the international community are reassured due process is safeguarded, so that public trust
in the fairness and integrity of our immigration and cultural exchange policies is re-assured. It would also
give clarity to Canadians who bought tickets to see the band in Toronto and Vancouver.

I respectfully request that this letter, together with the related Order Paper questions tabled
in the House (Q-443 — October 8, 2025) be added to the Committee’s official record. I stand
ready to assist the Committee in securing witnesses and providing any additional background materials.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to the Committee’s consideration
of this request.

Sincerely,
Jenny Kwan
Member of Parliament for Vancouver East

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