Three Haitians Added to Sanctions List

Summary#

These final regulations, Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations (SOR/2022-258), add three people to Canada’s list of sanctioned individuals in relation to the crisis in Haiti. The amendments came into force when registered on December 2, 2022, and were published in the Canada Gazette on December 21, 2022.

What it does#

• Adds three people to the schedule of the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations:
  • Gilbert Bigio (born 1953)
  • Reynold Deeb
  • Sherif Abdallah (born August 18, 1958)
• Prohibits people and businesses in Canada, and Canadians and Canadian entities abroad, from:
  • dealing in the property of the listed people;
  • entering into transactions with them;
  • providing financial or related services to them;
  • otherwise making goods or services available to them.
• The names will be added to the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List to help financial institutions and others comply.
• Enforcement bodies named include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
• Penalties for knowingly breaking the rules include a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment for up to one year on summary conviction, and up to five years on indictment.

Who's affected#

• The three named individuals and their known associates and networks.
• People and entities in Canada, and Canadians and Canadian businesses operating abroad, who would have transactions or financial links with those individuals.
• Banks and other financial institutions in Canada, which must update their monitoring and compliance systems to reflect the additions.
• Most Canadian small businesses are unlikely to be affected, unless they have direct dealings with the listed people.

Why it matters#

• These are targeted sanctions intended to cut off financial support, weapons, and other assistance believed to be helping armed gangs in Haiti.
• For ordinary Canadians, the most visible effect is that banks and payment systems will screen for these names and may freeze or refuse transactions tied to them.
• For people in Haiti and the region, the goal is to pressure those believed to be enabling violence and instability, as part of a wider international effort to restore security and protect civilians.
• The rules are already in force, so anyone doing business that touches the listed people needs to be aware and compliant now.