Close Eritrean Consulate in Toronto

Close Eritrean Consulate in Toronto

The Eritrean consulate in Toronto has been extorting Eritrean-Canadian citizens, community centers and churches to collect money in violation Canadian and International laws for many years.

The illegal action of the consulate has been verified by the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, which reports, “Eritrean officials and party agents routinely resort to threats, intimidation and coercive measures in order to elicit payment.”  The report adds, “The most common tactic is the denial of unrelated services until taxes have been paid. Other measures include harassment, intimidation and the threat of retribution in Eritrea: individuals who refuse to make payment may have their inheritance rights voided; their family members may be penalized; and they may be subject to detention or denial of an exit visa if they return to Eritrea.”

The consulate works under various guises – the Eritrean Canadian Association of Ontario, Eritrean Cultural Center, and the Eritrean Community of Winnipeg to raise fund, invite singers, ask for permits to rent public parks and implement its illegal activities. The consulate also conceals its political nature in order to obtain financial assistance from the Canadian government.  The UN report said “A PFDJ [the People's Front for Democracy and Justice, the ruling party in Eritrea] fundraising drive in Canada in early 2012 falsely presented itself as a campaign to assist Eritrean orphans and children, in potential violation of Canadian law.” An investigation by the RCMP revealed that the money raised in the name of ‘orphans’ was handed to Eritrean government agents.

We, Eritrean Canadians who have been victimized by the illegal activities of the Eritrean government here in Canada for the past two decades, call upon the Canadian government to shut the Eritrean consulate in this country immediately. The only solution to end the misery of Eritrean Canadian citizens is by closing the consulate, otherwise, the consulate will devise different tactics in order to continue undermining Canadian law and to extort Canadian citizens.

Eritrean Canadian Human Rights Group