Haiti sanctions: Privert and Succar listed

Summary#

The federal government updated the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations to add two Haitian individuals, Jocelerme Privert (born February 1, 1953) and Salim Succar (born December 31, 1970), to Canada’s sanctions list. The change took legal effect when the regulations were registered on February 15, 2023 and was published on March 1, 2023.

What it does#

• Adds Jocelerme Privert and Salim Succar to Part 2 of the schedule to the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations.
• Prohibits Canadians, people in Canada, and Canadian entities abroad from dealing with the listed persons’ property, entering into transactions with them, or providing them with financial or related services.
• Renders the listed individuals inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
• Requires financial institutions to screen for these names and block or refuse transactions involving them.
• Leaves enforcement to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency; penalties for knowing violations include a fine of up to $25,000, or imprisonment for up to one year on summary conviction, or up to five years on indictment.

Who's affected#

• The two named individuals: Jocelerme Privert and Salim Succar.
• People and businesses in Canada, and Canadian individuals or companies operating abroad, who might otherwise transact with these individuals.
• Canadian banks and financial institutions, which must update compliance systems to flag and block transactions involving the listed names.
• Potential travellers: the listed people are made inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
• It is unclear from the notice whether other groups in Haiti or third countries will be directly affected beyond the intended targets.

Why it matters#

• These targeted sanctions are meant to stop money, arms and other support from reaching criminal gangs in Haiti by cutting off influential individuals who are believed to protect or enable them.
• For Canadians, the practical effects are mostly compliance steps for banks and a prohibition on dealing with the two named people; most ordinary citizens are unlikely to be directly affected.
• For Haiti, the government says the measure aims to pressure elites to stop supporting gangs and to help reduce violence, insecurity and related humanitarian harm. The notice reports early signs of impact but does not provide independent proof of long-term effects.