Citizenship – Canada Moves to Revoke Status of 26/11 Accused Ahead of PM Visit
Citizenship – As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares for an official visit to India, Ottawa has initiated legal proceedings to cancel the citizenship of Tahawwur Rana Hussain, a Pakistan-born businessman accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Immigration Action Intensifies Before Diplomatic Engagement
According to official documents accessed by Global News, Canada’s immigration authorities have informed Rana, 64, that they intend to revoke the citizenship he obtained in 2001. The move comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment, with bilateral security cooperation expected to feature prominently during Carney’s India visit.
Rana, originally from Pakistan, later became a Canadian citizen after moving to Canada in 1997. He is widely known for his association with David Coleman Headley, a central figure in planning the coordinated attacks in Mumbai in November 2008. The assault left 166 people dead and drew global condemnation.
Extradition to India and Arrest by NIA
In April 2025, Rana was extradited from the United States to India in connection with the 26/11 investigation. Upon his arrival in New Delhi, he was taken into custody by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is leading the probe into the attacks.
Rana had earlier been convicted in the United States for his role in a separate plot involving plans to target employees of a Danish newspaper. However, Canadian authorities clarified that the current effort to cancel his citizenship is not directly linked to terrorism charges.
Allegations of Misrepresentation in Citizenship Application
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated that the revocation process is based on alleged false information provided during Rana’s citizenship application.
When he applied in 2000, Rana declared that he had lived continuously in Ottawa and Toronto for four years and had been outside Canada for only six days during that period. However, a subsequent investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) concluded that he had actually spent most of those years in Chicago.
Authorities said Rana owned several businesses and properties in Chicago at the time, including an immigration consultancy and a grocery store. Based on those findings, officials argue that he failed to accurately disclose his absences from Canada.
In a letter dated May 31, 2024, IRCC informed Rana that his application appeared to contain deliberate omissions. The department described the case as one involving serious misrepresentation and stated that the alleged inaccuracies led officials to mistakenly determine that he met residency requirements for citizenship.
Case Referred to Federal Court
Under Canadian law, the final decision in citizenship revocation cases rests with the Federal Court. The government has formally referred Rana’s case to the court, which must determine whether citizenship was acquired through false representation, fraud, or concealment of key facts.
A hearing in the matter took place last week. During proceedings, government lawyers requested permission to withhold certain information on national security grounds.
Rana’s legal team has challenged the revocation effort. His lawyer, based in Toronto, has argued that the decision is unjust and infringes upon his rights. The defense has appealed the move, seeking to block the cancellation of his citizenship.
Government Defends Integrity of Citizenship Laws
A spokesperson for the immigration department told Global News that revoking citizenship in cases of proven misrepresentation is a necessary safeguard to uphold the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.
Mary Rose Sabater, speaking on behalf of the department, emphasized that such measures are not taken lightly. She noted that the Federal Court provides an independent review to ensure fairness in each case.
While the department does not maintain comprehensive public data on the number of revocations, a review by Global News found only three similar cases over the past decade.
The court’s ruling in Rana’s case is expected to clarify the legal standards applied in situations where citizenship status is questioned due to alleged misrepresentation, particularly in matters intersecting with national security and international criminal investigations.