The Canadian government announced on Thursday that it will provide assistance to Iranian temporary residents in Canada who want to extend their stay, citing the Iranian government's crackdown on recent protests.

According to a statement released by the Canadian government on Thursday, "effective March 1, 2023, these measures will make it easier for Iranians who wish to extend their temporary status in Canada and to move between temporary streams, allowing Iranians to continue studying, working or visiting family by applying for a new permit from inside Canada."

Following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, on September 16th, 2017, while in police custody, there were widespread protests in Iran that fall.

The morality police in Tehran detained Amini for disobeying the hijab regulations, which call for women to completely cover their bodies and hair, and she passed away in custody. Anti-government protests following her passing have hurt the Iranian clerical establishment's reputation both domestically and internationally. Following a severe state crackdown on protests, many Western states, including Canada, have imposed sanctions.

Iranians already living in Canada will have access to an open work permit pathway, according to the Canadian government, which also stated that applications from Iranians living in Canada will also be handled with priority.

Additionally, Canada announced that it would waive certain processing fees for Iranians who wanted to stay longer in the country as well as fees for passports and permanent resident travel documents for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who wanted to leave Iran.

On Thursday, Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said, "Canada will not sit idly by in the face of these aggressions as the Iranian regime continues its ongoing human rights violations."