Montreal organizations say Canada is censoring European Parliament member Rima Hassan

Community organizations in Montreal are coming to the defence of a French Palestinian politician who they say was denied entry into Canada because of her political views.

Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament, was scheduled to be in Montreal on Tuesday and later in the week to speak at conferences about anti-fascism, the far right and pro-Palestinian advocacy.

The groups in Montreal say they believe Hassan was singled out by Canadian authorities because of her criticism of Israel.

“I was worrying because … if they do that to an elected representative of people, what are they doing to regular citizens?” said Marc-Édouard Joubert, co-president of Alternatives, one of the organizing groups.

Hassan appeared virtually at a news conference organized by the groups on Monday, but organizers said she would not take questions, explaining she would say more when she addressed one of the conferences on Tuesday.

Independent Jewish Voices and Quebec Doctors Against Genocide are among the other groups that invited Hassan to Canada.

Over the weekend, Hassan posted on social media about why she was forced to cancel her trip.

Those with a French passport do not need a visa to travel to Canada, but need approval to fly in. Hassan said she had received this authorization but was asked to submit new documents and information, including bank statements and a list of family ties, a few hours before her flight to Montreal was scheduled. 

As a result, she said she was not able to enter Canada and was instead scheduled to participate in the conferences remotely. 

Immigration Canada declined to comment, citing privacy and security issues.

Hassan’s party, the left-wing France Unbowed (France Insoumise), said in a statement it believes her authorization was revoked because she was previously denied entry to Israel and because of complaints against her linked to her criticism of Israel.

According to the party’s statement, the government allegedly told Hassan that she failed to disclose a previous visa refusal or denial of entry as well as an alleged criminal offence, arrest, indictment or conviction.

Hassan was on one of the flotillas that set sail for Gaza last June, when she was arrested in international waters and detained in Israel before being sent back to France. She had also been denied entry into Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation in February 2025. 

The Jewish human rights group B’nai Brith Canada praised the government for blocking Hassan’s entry into Canada, saying she “promoted terror.” 

B’nai Brith also said it sent information to Canadian authorities about Hassan and thanked the government for acting quickly.

But the groups that invited Hassan to speak in Canada disagree with how B’nai Brith Canada portrayed her.

“She’s not a pro-Palestine activist. She’s a Palestinian woman who is watching her family and her land be destroyed,” said Independent Jewish Voices spokesperson Zev Saltiel. 

“When we treat Muslim and Arab people, or people who are from these regions, like they are a danger or like they are terrorists simply for existing, we contribute to the growing racism and Islamophobia that already exists here.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2026.