Canadian state denies entry to Egyptian political exile

Hossam launching his book at Bookmarks bookshop in London (Pic: Abdelrahman.fares81 on facebook)

Hossam el-Hamalawy, the Egyptian journalist and revolutionary socialist, has been barred from entering Canada. 

“The whole situation is nothing short of Kafka-esque,” Hossam told Socialist Worker.

Hossam was a leading voice of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. This movement saw millions of people overthrow the Western‑backed dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak as part of a wave of revolt across the Middle East and North Africa. 

While the revolution opened up the possibility of going further than simply replacing Mubarak, it was directed in a “safe” reformist direction. 

Eventually, the armed forces installed General Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi in a coup. 

Hossam was due to deliver two lectures at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia in September. 

One was to be a launch of his new book Counter-Revolution in Egypt—Sisi’s New Republic, and the other a panel discussion on Egypt. 

But his application for an “electronic travel authorisation” (ETA), a document that is required for all visa-exempt foreign nationals entering the country, was denied by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). 

Hossam left Egypt in 2015 and has been living in exile in Germany. He now holds German citizenship. 

“German citizens need only apply for an ETA, not a visa. And it normally gets processed in a matter of minutes,” said Hossam. 

“So, I logged on to the website and answered all of the questions I was asked to. 

“One of the questions was along the lines of, ‘Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime or put on trial,’ something like that,” Hossam explained. 

Hossam, who has extensively documented the abuses of state security forces and police torture in Egypt, was detained and tortured by the Mubarak regime in 2000 and 2002. In 2011, he was summoned to appear before a military tribunal. 

“I have been arrested multiple times in Egypt, for taking part in protests. But I have never been convicted or put to trial, because that’s not how things work in Egypt. 

“They arrest you, they torture you, they beat the shit out of you and then, maybe, you are released.

“So I answered yes, since I did not want to lie. And all of this information is available online anyway,” he added.

After he submitted his application, Hossam received a request for more information. 

“I sent a long letter back, explaining that I cannot go back to Egypt, nor approach the Egyptian embassy, because I am a political exile. That would put my safety at risk,” Hossam said. 

Despite the university contacting a local MP, who contacted the federal government, Hossam’s application for an ETA was finally denied once and for all. 

The IRCC has not, in the past, always been so concerned about court records and police certificates. 

In 2024, the fascist Tommy Robinson was allowed to enter Canada ahead of a speaking tour despite a long list of criminal convictions. 

He was arrested shortly after on suspicion of “an immigration offence” by Canadian authorities.  

Asked what activists in Britain could do to help him, Hossam answered, “Just make noise about, as much as you can.”