OTTAWA—Canada’s immigration minister says he is heeding warnings that members and allies of the Iranian regime are trying to set up residency in Canada.

At a news conference Monday, Jason Kenney told reporters officials have been told to comb through applications from Iranian nationals to ensure anyone deemed allied with or part of the Iranian government — declared last week a state sponsor of terrorism — is barred from entering Canada.

“Many in the Persian community in Canada have been concerned that people who have been close to or members of the regime and their relatives, they believe, have in too many cases been able to establish residency in Canada and we want to ensure that people who may be inadmissible, that is to say those who perhaps are associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the Al Quds force, the Basij, or senior members of the regime are not admissible to Canada under s. 34-36 of the Immigration Refugee Protection Act,” Kenney said.

The law bars anyone who has engaged in terrorism, spying, war crimes, human rights violations, criminality or who is deemed a danger to the security of Canada.