Cleaning House

"Canada will consider the embassy's request for renewal of his accreditation once it has received written confirmation that Eritrea has complied in full with the department's expectations ... and therefore the consulate has effectively ceased to collect the 2% 'recovery and rehabilitation' tax and the donation for national defence.
"If Mr. O. Micael continues to carry out tax solicitation and tax collection activities in spite of Canada's express disapproval and view that such activities are incompatible with the normal performance of consular functions, it will expect a notification from the Ministry stating that such person has been recalled from Canada."  
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada

There were the problems of militant Sikhs in British Columbia fomenting violence against Canadian Hindus over the creation of Khalistan, a separate geographical portion to be lopped off from India for Sikhs, presumably to include the area where the Golden Temple of Amritsar sits.  Which led to violence against Canadian Hindus and moderate Sikhs by militant Canadian Sikhs.  Culminating in the Air India Flight 182 tragedy.

And then there was the Tamil Tigers demanding funding from among the expatriate Tamil community living in Canada as Canadian Tamils from Sri Lanka.  Again, fomenting violently on behalf of a Tamil homeland. Where agitation against the state of Sri Lanka and activities within Canada through muscular fund-raising and threats took place, even while former Canadian government representatives attended meetings that featured the activities of the Tamil Liberation Tigers.

More recently there was the expulsion of the Iranian diplomats from Canada, the closing of the Iranian Embassy, and the departure of Canadian diplomats assigned to the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, as an unmistakably indelible signal that Canada has had enough of Iran's interference with the community of Canadian Iranians.  Iran's malevolent nuclear plans despite UN sanctions, its existential threats against Israel, its repression of its own people, its support for and incitement of terrorism, all make it persona non grata in Canada.

 Now it's the turn of Eritrea, one of the poorest and most militant of African countries.  The government of Eritrea has no means of raising operating funds with no domestic economy, no industry and trade, it resorts to extracting from Eritreans living abroad what they call a "diaspora tax", through its consulate in Toronto. Canadians of Eritrean extraction are solicited for a 2% income tax and "donations" about which they have no choice but to render.  Any who refuse to pay have been threatened, subjected to intimidation and coersion.

The accreditation of Consul Semere Ghebremariam O. Micael expired on September 20.  The only way it would receive an extension by the Department of Foreign Affairs was for the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs responding in a "note verbale" that it had "complied in full" with Canada's demands that it cease and desist with its extortion of Canadian Eritreans.  Eritrea funds its military and its hugely repressive government with those extraterritorial taxes.

"I don't think the Canadian government realizes how crooked the Eritrean regime is.  So the only way to stop the 2% extortion tax is by shutting up the Eritrean consulate for good", said Aaron Berhane, who fled his native Eritrea after the state closed his newspaper.  His former country has armed, trained and financed armed groups throughout the region, causing the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on the country.

A UN team whose purpose is to monitor compliance with the arms embargo sent investigators to Canada.  They confirmed that the Toronto consulate was actively collecting taxes for military purposes.  That if those directed to pay the taxes refused, they were then threatened.  Eritrea insists the UN investigators are biased and politically motivated, that allegations of extortion represent a "malicious lie".

The purpose of the extortionary taxes, after all, were to help rebuild the country in the wake of its devastating war with Ethiopia.  And to protect the nation from "imminent military threats."