A man with a complicated past, Yahia Meddah, has been deported from Canada to Algeria. His expulsion occurred on a Thursday evening after local and federal efforts to remove him had intensified. Meddah had made headlines for displaying swastikas outside his home in Saint-Barnabé-Sud as a form of protest against the municipality.
Background on Yahia Meddah
Meddah, 54, had a long-standing legal battle regarding his immigration status in Canada. He first entered the country in 1998 after fleeing a psychiatric hospital in Florida. The FBI had labeled him as an “extremely dangerous” fugitive due to alleged ties to the Armed Islamic Group, a known terrorist organization.
- First attempted asylum in the U.S. was denied.
- Canadian authorities also refused him asylum in 2007 due to security concerns.
- Officially banned from Canada in 2014 after being convicted of violence against a store inspector.
Recent Legal Developments
For years, Canadian Border Services struggled to secure travel documents from Algeria for his deportation. A breakthrough came in February 2025 when, amid political pressure, the agency began to pursue his expulsion actively.
Local politicians, including Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay and Chantal Soucy, expressed their relief at Meddah’s deportation. Soucy described the situation as an “immense relief” for the citizens of Saint-Barnabé-Sud, who had endured provocations from Meddah.
Issues Surrounding His Protest
Meddah drew negative attention in June 2024 after placing swastikas outside his residence, claiming his home was being violated by municipal authorities. He faced court orders to remove these signs, yet defied them, resulting in a contempt of court conviction.
The municipality incurred over $150,000 in legal fees trying to prevent Meddah from reinstating his signs. Following media scrutiny from El-Balad and ongoing political pressures, his expulsion finally came to fruition.
Final Attempts to Avoid Deportation
Before his removal, Meddah sought one last reprieve, claiming he was medically unfit to fly. However, this request was denied by the court, citing the lack of thorough medical evidence.
Now in Algeria, Meddah remains the subject of a criminal charge for electricity theft. He is also set to testify in a civil trial involving his sons, who face allegations of threatening local residents.
The case highlights the complexities surrounding immigration enforcement and the tensions within communities impacted by such controversial figures.
