Canadian PM's office and border services "not involved" in announcement banning KNEECAP

The Canadian Prime Minister's Office and the Canada Border Services Agency have said they were "not involved" in an MP's announcement banning KNEECAP from Canada.

On September 19, Liberal Party MP Vince Gasparro posted a video on X in which he said the rap trio would be prohibited from entering the country, claiming they "engaged in actions and made statements that are contrary to Canadian values and laws."

Shortly after, KNEECAP issued a statement condemning Gasparro's claims as "wholly untrue and deeply malicious," adding "no member of Kneecap has been convicted of ANY crime in ANY country EVER."

KNEECAP said they instructed their lawyers to initiate legal actions against Gasparro and promised, "when we beat you in court, which we will, we will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza."

KNEECAP also apologised to Canadian fans, as they were forced to cancel their four planned gigs in the country.

In October, New Democratic Party MP Jennny Kwan issued an official query to the House of Commons in which she asked if Gasparro was authorised by any government bodies to make the announcement.

A response to Kwan's query was tabled on Monday, November 24, with statements by several government entities.

The Prime Minister's Office said it "was not involved in the decision" for Gasparro to make the announcement.

The Canada Border Services Agency said it "was not implicated in" authorising Gasparro's announcement, adding it "did not provide advice" and "was not consulted" on the matter.

Kwan's query also requested clarification on whether KNEECAP were "ever denied the right to entry at any point in the process" and if they are currently allowed to enter Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) responded, saying Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh's (aka Mo Chara) travel authorisation was cancelled in August for failure to "disclose complete and accurate information" in his application.

"[Ó hAnnaidh] remains eligible to submit a new application, which will be assessed on its own merits," IRCC's statement read.

IRCC said applications by band members J. J. Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí) and Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap) "are currently under review" and "they have been informed not to travel to Canada" until receiving further communication from the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

In a post on X last night, Kwan commented on the responses, saying the Minister for Immigration "still hasn't responded" to clarify the matter.

"Why was an MP — not CBSA, not IRCC, not the PMO — the one to announce an 'entry ban' on Kneecap?" Kwan said.

"Canadians deserve clarity, transparency, and accountability."

Why was an MP — not CBSA, not IRCC, not the PMO — the one to announce an “entry ban” on Kneecap? The Immigration Minister still hasn’t responded. Canadians deserve clarity, transparency, and accountability. #cdnpoli #Kneecaphttps://t.co/Fum0C1rxjQ

— Jenny Kwan (@JennyKwanBC) November 26, 2025

At the time of writing, neither KNEECAP nor Gasparro have responded to the updates.
In July, Canadian Liberal Party MP Anthony Housefather and pro-Israel advocacy group the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) called for KNEECAP to be banned from the country.

Housefather and CIJA cited terrorism charges against Ó hAnnaidh for allegedly holding a Hezbollah flag at a concert, which the band called a "carnival of distraction."

KNEECAP said the flag was thrown on stage and argued that the charges are politically motivated for their criticism of Israel's occupation of Gaza and of British presence in Ireland.

After a series of court appearances, the case was thrown out by the chief magistrate at Woolwich Crown Court on September 26 over a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought.