The Canadian Immigration Department disclosed to CBC News that only one member of the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has been barred from entering Canada, contradicting a statement made by a Liberal MP in September claiming that none of them would be allowed entry.
This marks the first time that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has publicly addressed the situation involving the three individuals since Vince Gasparro, the parliamentary secretary for combatting crime, announced in a social media video two months ago that the members of Kneecap were deemed ineligible to enter Canada.
Gasparro accused the band of supporting organizations listed as terrorist groups in Canada, namely Hezbollah and Hamas.
Following the video release, Immigration Minister Lena Diab, along with the IRCC and other government entities, had refrained from commenting on individual cases due to privacy concerns.
Nevertheless, the IRCC issued an update after each band member consented to disclosing their immigration status to CBC News.
According to the IRCC, all three band members had obtained electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) to visit Canada from March 2024, valid until 2029. However, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh had his eTA revoked in August for failing to provide complete and accurate information on his application. This occurred while Ó hAnnaidh, also known as Mo Chara, was facing a terrorism-related charge in the UK for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a concert in November 2024. The prosecution was dismissed by a London court in late September due to being filed too late.
The IRCC did not specify if Ó hAnnaidh’s omission of information was related to the criminal case.
The applications of the other two band members, James John O Dochartaigh and Naoise O Caireallain, are currently “under review,” and they were advised in September not to travel to Canada until further communication from the IRCC.
Kneecap had plans to perform in Toronto and Vancouver in October but had to cancel due to the situation. The group had also canceled 15 shows in the U.S. in August.
Following Gasparro’s video, the band’s manager, Dan Lambert, stated that besides the MP’s communication, Kneecap had not received any official instructions regarding their travel to Canada.
Lambert clarified that the band members were unaware of their immigration application statuses and emphasized that the IRCC’s claim of incomplete information in Ó hAnnaidh’s eTA could not be linked to the dismissed court case, as the application was submitted before the legal proceedings.
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