Canadian Security Magazine

Ontario boy still having problems with no-fly list

By Canadian Security   

News Transportation airport security

TORONTO – A Toronto-area boy who made national headlines because his name matches one that's on Canada's no-fly list is reportedly still having difficulty boarding planes.

Six-year-old Syed Adam Ahmed, who had to go through rigorous security checks to fly to Boston two months ago, was supposed to be removed from the no-fly list by now.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale promised in January that he would review the specifics of the Markham Ont. boy’s case, because airlines were ignoring a government directive not to screen minors against Canada’s no-fly list.

But when Adam went through security Mar. 3 at Pearson International Airport to fly to a family wedding in Edmonton, the flags came up again.

Khadija Cajee, the boy’s mother, said they weren’t able to check in online again.

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And she said while the Air Canada ticket agent didn’t have to call the security centre to have the boy cleared for check-in, she still had to visually identify her son.

“He still needs to be visually identified,” Cajee told 680News. “He’s just a child, he’s done nothing wrong.”

Unfortunately, the boy’s name matches that of someone else on the no-fly list.

The publicity generated by Adam’s difficulties in boarding planes prompted dozens of other families to contact Cajee and 21 of them agreed to be mentioned in a letter she sent to federal cabinet ministers involved in the issue.

In addition to his edict regarding handling children whose names match those on the no-fly list, Goodale’s department is also looking at changes that would help identify those who have similar or the same names as people on the no-fly list, but are not the intended targets.


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