The head of the Eritrean consulate in Toronto has been ordered to leave Canada after breaching UN sanctions.
Semere Ghebremariam Micael is alleged to have demanded a 2% “diaspora tax” and “national defence fees” from Eritreans in the country, in violation of Canadian law and the sanctions imposed on Eritrea by the UN.
"Canada has taken steps to expel (declare persona non grata) Mr Semere Ghebremariam O Micael, consul and head of the Eritrean Consulate General in Toronto, effective immediately," Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement.
Eritrean community groups in Canada slammed the decision by the government, saying it is an optional fee and not illegal.
“I think over the past year, people have created this conception that they are supporting terrorism or something illegal by giving two percent and/or that we are living in fear of our consulate. None of these [allegations] are truthful and they’re without merit,” Yonas Tesfay, executive director of Canadian Eritrean Communities and Organizations (CECCO) said to the Global News.
"In 22 years, there has never been any issues that we know of, up until of course the last year when people started coming forward with allegations,” Tesfay said.