Document #1234579
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
1) According to a representative of the
Provisional Government of Eritrea (EPLF) Mission to the United
States and Canada in Washington, D.C., any person wishing to visit
Eritrea must fill out an application form for an entry permit and
enclose two photographs and $10.OO to cover processing costs (12
May 1992). This information was corroborated by a representative of
the Eritrean Relief Association in Ottawa, a non-profit charitable
organization registered in Canada in 1979 which is in the process
of becoming a bureau of the EPLF Mission to the United States and
Canada in Washington, D.C. (12 May 1992).
A representative of the Eritrean Relief
Association stated that the EPLF Mission to the United States and
Canada located in Washington, D.C., processes the entry permit
application form upon receipt and sends the applicant a copy of the
application form filled out by the applicant with a picture and a
seal affixed to it and a letter written in English (Ibid.).
The letter, which represents the entry permit to Eritrea, can be
opened by the applicant and is to be attached to the applicant's
passport (Ibid.). The letter contains the following
information: name of the applicant, mention to the effect that the
applicant has filled out an entry permit application form, and the
date of arrival and departure of the applicant (Ibid.). The
letter is to be handed in to the Eritrean authorities at the port
of entry and the copy of the entry permit application form filled
out by the applicant is to be kept by the applicant to be used as
an identification card (Ibid.).
Following a telephone conversation with two
Eritreans to whom we were referred by Mr. Michael Embaie, a
prominent member of the Eritrean community in Canada, it appears
that both of them, during their recent visit to Eritrea, filled out
the section of the application form relating to questions on
membership in an association, organization and/or union and the
amount of the membership fees (28 May 1992; 22 May 1992). One
person received three travel documents: the original application
form with a picture and a seal affixed to it to be handed in to the
Eritrean authorities at the port of entry, a copy of the
application form to be kept by the applicant and used as an
identification card, and a letter written in English, which
represents the visa and is to be kept by the applicant (28 May
1992). The second person, who also filled the above-mentioned
section of the application form, received two types of travel
documents: a copy of the application form to be kept by the
applicant and used as an identification card, and a letter written
in English, which represents the visa and is to be kept by the
applicant (22 May 1992).
During a telephone conversation with a
representative of the EPLF Mission to the United States and Canada
located in Washington, D.C., on 13 May 1992, the representative
stated that the above-mentioned procedure is being altered and will
soon consist of issuing a piece of paper to be included in the
applicant's passport and used as the entry permit to Eritrea.
2) A representative of the Eritrean Relief
Association in Ottawa stated that the section of the application
form requiring information pertaining to membership of an
association, organization and/or union and the amount of the
membership fees is not compulsory and does not have to be filled
out by the applicant (Ibid.).
3) The representative stated that there are
no consequences related to not completing the section containing
questions on membership in an association, organization and/or
union and the amount of the membership fees (Ibid.). The
main reason for asking for that type of information is to know who
contributed to previous fund raising calls from the EPLF
(Ibid.). The money raised has been mainly oriented toward
development projects such as road improvement, education,
agriculture etc. (Ibid.).
In reference to the above topics, please
consult the Response to Information Request ETH10857 of 12 May 1992
available at the Toronto II Documentation Centre.
Additional and/or corroborative information on the above subjects could not be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC in Ottawa.
Provisional Government of Eritrea
(EPLF), Mission to the United States and Canada, Washington D.C. 12
May 1992. Telephone Interview with a Representative.
. 13 May 1992. Telephone Interview with
a Representative.
Eritrean Relief Association, Ottawa. 12
May 1992. Telephone Interview with a Representative.
Eritrean residing in Canada, Calgary. 28
May 1992. Telephone Interview.
Eritrean residing in Canada, Winnipeg.
22 May 1992. Telephone Interview.