Transnational-repression-in-Canada_MIGS.pdf

Transnational repression is emerging as one of the most serious yet least
understood threats to security and democracy in Canada. As foreign states
increasingly target individuals on Canadian soil, through intimidation,
surveillance, digital harassment, coercion of family members abroad, and,
in some cases, plans for physical harm, Canada faces a challenge that strikes
at the core of its democratic values and institutions.

This report highlights the urgent need to recognize transnational repression
not merely as a set of isolated incidents, as it was long regarded, but as
a systemic threat affecting thousands of people across Canada’s diverse
diaspora communities. The consequences are profound. Individuals
live in fear, communities become fractured and politically silenced, and
democratic processes are weakened as voices are pushed out of public life.
The reach of authoritarian governments into Canada’s social and political
space undermines the state’s sovereignty and its ability to protect those
who seek safety within its borders.