Jos Bov, European politician who opposes trade deal, allowed to stay in Canada

An anti-globalization activist and European Parliament MP who opposes a trade deal between Canada and the European Union has beenallowed to stay in Canada after immigrationofficials scrambled to grant him atemporary resident permit.

Jos Bov, who represents France as a member of the EU's Green Party in Brussels,missed a speaking engagement in Montreal Tuesdayafter he was held up by customsatPierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

He was originallytold he'd have to leave the country on Wednesday.But thenhe received a call fromCanada Border Services Agency saying he would be allowed to stay for seven days.

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TheCouncil of Canadians, a social action organization, organized the event at whichBovwas invitedto speak Tuesday night.He is also scheduled tospeak at theGroundswellconference in St. John's on Friday.

BovsaidCBSAagents told him he was being expelled because of his previous convictions, including one for vandalizing a McDonald's restaurant,which he said was strange because he hasbeen to Canada many times before without issue.

A senior official in Immigration Minister John McCallum's office issued a statement late Wednesday saying that although it is the CBSA's responsibility to make security decisions about who has the right to enter Canada, in certain instances the immigration minister can authorize a temporary permit if the need to stay outweighs any risk to Canadian society.

"It is in Canada's interest to ensure that a French member of the European Parliament is granted open and fair entry to Canada so he might have the opportunity to offer his perspective on an important issue for Canadians such as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)," the official said in an email.

"It is also important for all foreign officials and members of Parliament who know they will face entry challenges to get pre-clearance prior to attempting entry to Canada," it continued, saying that advising Canada in advance was "standard practice" to "ensure facilitation"and appearing to suggest Bov had not done so in this case.

Passport confiscated

After hours in customs Tuesday,Bovwas allowed to go to his hotel, but his passport was confiscated and he was told he would have to leave Canada onWednesday afternoon, he said.

At a news conference Wednesday,Bovcalled on Prime Minister Justin Trudeauto explain why he was held at the airport.

In a statement, the Council of Canadians questionedwhether there was political interference with his visit.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May added that "questions remain as to how Mr. Bov, a sitting parliamentarian, was denied entry into Canada in the first place after obtaining a travel visa."

Decision up to border agents, federal government says

Alex Lawrence, aspokesperson for International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, denied any interference, sayingthe government supports"open,publicdebate including about trade."

"This is the only way to buildpublicsupport and apublicconsensus," he said in an email, adding that Freelandhas met personally with many opponents of CETA, including protesters in Germany last month.

Earlier, aspokesperson for Public Safety Minister RalphGoodalesaiddecisions on who is allowed into Canada are left to the discretion of border services agents.

ScottBardsleysaidthere are a "number of reasons someone may be refused entry under immigration law, including past criminality, posing a threat to the safety of Canadians, and lying in an interview."

A CBSA spokesperson said the agencydoes notcomment on individual cases, but that admissibility is determined on a case by case basis, and a person may be deemed inadmissible to Canada if they have committed a crime,or for security and financial reasons, among other reasons.

NDP MPAlexandreBoulerice, who was scheduled to meet withBovon Thursday,saidthe situation is "totally unacceptablefor a democratic country like Canada."

A history of activism

Bovbecame famous in the 1980s and 1990s asan activist. In 1999, he vandalizedaMcDonald's restaurant to protest against free trade in agriculture.

His career has beenpunctuated by other acts of civil disobedience that twice landed him in jailin the early 2000s. He was elected to the European Parliament in 2009 as part of the Groupe des Verts party.

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Jean-Marc Desfilhes, his press attach, said he and Bov had the same visa and Desfilhes got through customs without issue.

"He isn'ta criminal. Heis an elected member of the European Parliament. This is simply an extremely embarrassing situation," Desfilhes said.

CETA has not yet been signed or ratified, althougha signing ceremony is expected in Brussels later this month. If it is ratified by the European Parliament, some of its measures could be provisionally applied as early as 2017.

Critics say the deal will hurt farmers on both sides of the Atlantic.Bov said he believes the treaty is dangerous for the environment and is socially and ecologically unjust.

Bov'stime in Montreal coincides with a visit byFrench Prime Minister ManuelValls, who arrived in Ottawa Wednesday.

CETA will be one of a number of topics on the agenda when Valls meets withTrudeauand Quebec Premier PhilippeCouillard.