Canada continues to face pushback over a Pakistani national who allegedly plotted to kill Jews in New York as a temporary resident.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, who came to Canada in June 2023 on a student visa, also sought refugee status in Canada, reported the Epoch Times.

The RCMP arrested Khan September 4 while on his way to the U.S. from southern Québec. U.S. authorities are attempting to extradite him for attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Fazal Qadeer, the immigration consultant who worked with Khan, said his client made an asylum claim on the basis of his purported homosexuality. As reported by CBC News, Khan’s claim status remains unknown.

The Department of Immigration refused to comment on his claim specifically. However, a spokesperson told Epoch Times that all claimants receive an “independent and fair assessment on the merits of their claim.” 

Immigration Minister Marc Miller earlier confirmed the alleged terrorist entered Canada on a student visa. 

The US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) recently threatened stricter border controls on Canada after more than 1,200 terror suspects since 2020 were stopped from crossing the northern border. The agency called on Canada to make the necessary changes or suffer swift backlash.

US CBP observed a 54% spike in “watchlist” members attempting to enter from Canada in recent years. The problem didn’t exist before 2020.

When non-citizens attempt to enter the country illegally, they are arrested. If sufficient grounds are not established to make an arrest, they will send the person back to Canada regardless.

The US CBP expressed grave concern about the number of watchlist members issued Canadian documents, making it increasingly difficult to properly identify them. 

Khan is described as a “Pakistani citizen residing in Canada,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to a U.S. criminal complaint, Khan repeatedly endorsed ISIS and had intention to commit a terror attack since last November. Undercover FBI communications revealed he planned to attack Jewish religious centres to commemorate the October 7 attacks against Israel.

Khan’s arrest followed another RCMP arrest of a Toronto son and father, Ahmed and Mustafa Eldidi, who were reportedly in the “advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto.” The two face nine terrorism charges, including conspiracy to commit murder on behalf of ISIS.

The Department of Immigration confirmed Ahmed obtained citizenship in 2019, while his son filed a successful refugee claim.

Miller earlier expressed confidence in his staff’s ability to screen newcomers entering the country. “[I am] confident in the way our biometric system works in the progressive screening that operates in our country,” he said.

Immigration officials found no issues in Ahmed’s initial temporary resident visa application, Miller said. He received status after his second application was approved.

Conservative MPs on the public safety committee earlier accused the Trudeau government of no longer mandating police background checks for newcomers circa 2018.

The IRCC website mandates that newcomers applying for entry to Canada “may need to provide a police certificate for any other programs” if they have a prior criminal record. It does not specifically mention Pakistan.

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