Why Are These Canadian Children ‘Deemed High Profile’ When Flying?

The Canadian boy who recently landed on the No-Fly List isn’t alone. Since then, dozens of families have spoken out in hopes of getting answers from the government.

Looks like Syed Adam Ahmed, the six-year-old Canadian boy who ended up on the No-Fly List, has quite a bit of company.

Since Adam first made the news several weeks ago, dozens of families have contacted his mother, Khadija Cajee, to tell their own stories. “I guess they were surprised and happy to know they were not the only ones,” Cajee shared.

The story started on Dec. 31 when Adam’s father, Sulemaan Ahmed, tweeted a photo to Air Canada. Taken at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), the photo showed Adam’s name with a “DHP” label next to it, indicating that the boy was “deemed high profile” and would need to be checked in specially.

Over the past few weeks, Cajee has become a mouthpiece of sorts for those who have faced the same issue. Twenty-one of the families contacting her agreed to be mentioned in a letter she sent to several federal cabinet ministers, including Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.

According to Cajee, the children mentioned are Canadian-born, ranging in age from six months to 17 years. “They’ve never been denied boarding, but they’ve all had some level of delay and inconvenience,” she said. “Some of them have actually missed flights because of this.”

Goodale responded shortly after the story broke, saying his officials had reminded airlines that children did not need to be vetted against the No-Fly List. Per the Toronto Sun, his department is looking at changes to the Secure Air Travel Regulations. This “would help identify those who have similar or the same names as people on the No-Fly List, but are not the intended targets.”

To date, the family has not learned if Adam’s DHP label has been removed. They are planning to fly to Edmonton, Alberta, in March. Says Cajee, “So we’ll see what happens.”

[Photo: Facebook]