The Canadian Immigration Department has barred only one member of the controversial Irish hip-hop group Kneecap from entering the country, contrary to a statement made by a Liberal MP in September claiming that none of them would be allowed in. This marks the first public response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regarding the trio since Vince Gasparro, parliamentary secretary for crime prevention, announced on social media that the band members were deemed ineligible to enter Canada.
Gasparro accused Kneecap of supporting organizations listed as terrorist groups in Canada, namely Hezbollah and Hamas. Immigration Minister Lena Diab had previously refrained from commenting on individual cases when asked about the band’s status in Canada. However, following the band members’ consent to disclose their immigration statuses to CBC News, the IRCC provided an update.
According to the IRCC statement, the band members had obtained electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) to visit Canada, with one member, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, having his eTA canceled in August due to inaccuracies on his application. Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, had been facing a terror-related charge in the UK for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a concert in November 2024, a case that was dismissed in late September for being filed too late.
The IRCC indicated that the applications of the other two band members, James John O Dochartaigh and Naoise O Caireallain, are currently under review, and they were advised not to travel to Canada until further notice. Kneecap had plans to perform in Toronto and Vancouver in October but had to cancel due to these immigration issues.
Following Gasparro’s video announcement, the band’s manager, Dan Lambert, revealed that Kneecap had not received any official communication regarding their travel restrictions to Canada apart from the MP’s statement. Lambert emphasized that the band members were not informed of their immigration application statuses by any government entity and disputed the IRCC’s claim of incomplete information in Ó hAnnaidh’s eTA application being related to the UK court case, as the application was completed before the legal proceedings.
The situation surrounding Kneecap’s entry into Canada remains unresolved as the IRCC continues to review the immigration applications of the band members.