MONTREAL - Ottawa says members of Tunisia's ousted ruling class are not welcome in Canada.
The statement comes as reports circulate that a brother-in-law of Tunisia's former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali landed in Montreal on Friday aboard a private jet.
Immigration spokesman Douglas Kellam won't confirm the reports, saying he's unable to comment on specific cases for privacy reasons.
But he says that if someone who isn't welcome in Canada manages to make it across the border, they will face appropriate action.
Kellam says Ben Ali, deposed members of the former Tunisian regime and their immediate families are not welcome in Canada.
Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia earlier this month after widespread protests against high unemployment and the country's stifling political climate toppled his government.
The protesters also took issue with Ben Ali's autocratic rule and his family's lavish lifestyle.
Last week, online rumours suggested Ben Ali's son-in-law, who purchased a multi-million dollar home in Montreal two years ago, had sought refuge in Canada with his family. But reports now have him and his family staying at a hotel at Paris' Disneyland.
