Canada One Step Closer to Full Redress

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Six-year-old Syed Adam Ahmed might just be one of the most famous members of the No-Fly list. Although young Syed has repeatedly been flagged a travel risk since he was a child, when he and his dad checked into an Air Canada flight between Toronto and Boston late last year, father Sulemaan tweeted a message to Air Canada asking why?

@AirCanada Why is our (Canadian born) 6 year old on DHP no fly list? He must clear security each time. He is 6. :) pic.twitter.com/WPZJIeWL4S

— Sulemaan Ahmed (@sulemaan) December 31, 2015

Subsequently the Twitter-verse blew up, and many other people who have also cliamed to be mistakenly added to various no-fly lists—mostly because their names bear a resemblance to others on the list—started to speak up as well.

Now, The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, has announced that Canada is opening a new Passenger Protect Inquiries Office (PPIO) to assist travelers who are experiencing “difficulties” with various aviation security lists.

"Eliminating false positives in airport security screening is complex, but we are committed to a long-term solution through a domestic redress system,” said Minister Goodale. “As we work towards that goal, we are taking steps to problem-solve and help those who have been affected, while at same time ensuring that aviation security remains strong and effective in keeping Canadians safe."

The intention is to have the new PPIO also work closely with the newly-created Canada-U.S. Redress Working Group, which allows officials from both countries to share information related to Canadian and U.S. citizens who have mistakenly been added to these security lists.

The new office is just one step in the government’s plan to introduce a domestic redress system to deal with the false positive matches on Canada's Secure Air Travel Act (SATA) list under the Passenger Protect Program (PPP). SATA identifies individuals who are suspected of posing a threat to transportation security or those believed to be travelling in order to commit terrorism offences. 

The redress system, when established, will allow individuals with names that match those on the SATA list to receive a unique identification number, which will clear their name in advance of security screen, preventing airport delays.

But, warns the government, it could take more than 18 months before the system could be fully implemented.

For more information, visit www.publicsafety.gc.ca. 

Follow @MonicaPoling