Members of the Eritrean community in Canada say they want the government to expel Eritrea’s top diplomat because he solicits money from them. Eight months ago Canada threatened to not renew the credentials of Consul Semere Ghebremariam O. Micael unless he stopped asking for a two per cent “tax” from people of Eritrean origin.
“You have to go to the consulate and they arrange how you have to pay the money,” said one man who did not want his name used. “They want two per cent … they don’t give you a reason. You have to pay the money…My family [in Eritrea] would get in trouble if I don’t pay,” he said.
The United Nations has reported that state threats and intimidation were often used against families in Eritrea to get their relatives living in other countries to pay. It appears Eritrean authorities sometime use middlemen to try to avoid detection.
Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service is seeking information about the scam.
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