Nine Entities Remain Listed as Terrorist Groups

Summary#

This is the federal order Order Accepting the Recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness that Each Listed Entity Remain a Listed Entity: SI/2021-38. It records that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness recommended, and the government accepted, that nine named groups stay on the list of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code. The order was published in the Canada Gazette on July 7, 2021 and the decision was made on June 24, 2021.

What it does#

• Confirms the government accepts the minister’s recommendation that each reviewed entity remain on the federal list maintained under the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities.
• Keeps the following nine groups listed:
  • Al Qaida
  • Asbat Al-Ansar
  • Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA)
  • Hamas
  • Hizballah
  • Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
  • Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
  • Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
  • Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — General Command (PFLP-GC)
• Completes a routine statutory review that the government must carry out periodically (the requirement for these reviews comes from amendments made by the National Security Act, 2017).

Who's affected#

• Banks and financial institutions, and other businesses that must monitor or report suspicious transactions.
• People or organizations that control property or funds that might be linked to these groups. Those who know they hold such property may have to disclose it.
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) — these agencies receive reports or disclosures linked to listed entities.
• Bodies subject to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act must continue to follow reporting rules tied to these listings.

Why it matters#

• Being on the federal list means criminal and financial-reporting rules aimed at countering terrorism continue to apply to these groups. That includes watching for and reporting suspicious money flows and disclosing known property linked to them.
• For banks, financial firms, charities, and other organizations, the listing reinforces obligations to screen and report, which affects day-to-day compliance and risk checks.
• For the public, the listing signals that the government believes these groups remain linked to terrorist activity and that law enforcement and intelligence agencies will keep measures in place to limit support to them.
• The order follows a routine legal review. No public consultation was carried out for this decision.