Backgrounder
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) recently finished a review of how the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) Review and Analysis Division (RAD) audits charities following serious concerns raised by Muslim-led charities about unfair treatment.
These concerns have been documented in research and advocacy reports, including a Senate report called Combatting Hate: Islamophobia and its Impact on Muslims in Canada. The report pointed out that Muslim charities were being targeted more often than others and recommended a close look at how RAD operates.
This review was done with NSIRA having full access to all the information they needed.
Purpose of the Review
RAD is the part of the CRA responsible for making sure charities are not being used to fund terrorism.
NSIRA’s goal was to check if RAD audits charities fairly and without discrimination following Canada’s laws and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
What NSIRA Found
Most charities audited by RAD were Muslim or Sikh. This raised questions about whether RAD might be unfairly targeting these groups.
Some charities were audited even though there was no clear risk of terrorist funding. This goes against CRA’s claim that RAD only investigates the highest-risk cases.
The CRA does not collect enough data about who they audit such as the religion or background of charities making it hard to say for sure whether discrimination is happening.
What NSIRA Recommends
NSIRA gave six recommendations to help the CRA prevent bias and discrimination including starting to collect data about the charities they audit to make sure the process is fair and transparent.
RAD should only audit charities when there is a clear credible reason related to terrorist funding risks.
The CRA disagreed with collecting more data but NSIRA says this information is important for fair oversight.
Why This Matters
NSIRA’s review does not say discrimination definitely happened but it shows there are serious risks and gaps that need fixing.
Making sure that audits are fair and unbiased is key to protecting all charities, building public trust and respecting Canadians’ rights.
