Seraj Essaadi El Ferjani Ahmed, a relative of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been given a renewed chance to remain in Canada. Ahmed, who has been in Canada since 2017, argues that his ties to the Gaddafi regime are closer than immigration officials previously assessed. Ahmed is reportedly the nephew of Mansour Daou, a prominent figure in Gaddafi's inner circle. Daou was known for his loyalty to Gaddafi and was with him during the final moments of his life in 2011. Ahmed initially came to Canada to study aviation but was denied refugee protection by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) last year. He subsequently appealed that decision to the Federal Court. The IRB had determined it was safe for Ahmed to return to Libya, stating that individuals with "a low-level association with the regime" were not at risk. However, evidence presented in court indicates that Daou was not merely a minor official but Gaddafi's top security officer. He was described as the leader of the People’s Guard, a group of loyalists who protected Gaddafi during the 2011 uprising. In interviews following Gaddafi's overthrow, Daou claimed to be Gaddafi's cousin and detailed his close association with Gaddafi's family during the regime's final days. Ahmed, born in 1995, was only 16 when the Arab Spring ignited widespread protests against Gaddafi's rule. During the civil unrest, Ahmed and his family fled Libya in August 2011, shortly before Gaddafi's death. They initially sought refuge at Daou's home, which was later destroyed during the conflict. After leaving Libya, Ahmed's family moved to Egypt. In 2014, Ahmed traveled to South Africa to pursue his aviation studies and returned to Libya in 2015 to obtain a passport. He arrived in Canada in December 2017 on a student visa. Three years later, he sought refugee status, citing fears of persecution if he returned to Libya. During his refugee proceedings, Ahmed's former lawyer submitted evidence, including a video of Daou's house being attacked and photographs linking Ahmed to Gaddafi's regime. Despite this, the IRB rejected his asylum claim, suggesting he could settle in Sudan, where his father was born. Ahmed's appeal to the Federal Court was heard by Judge Ekaterina Tsimberis, who found the IRB's decision unreasonable. She noted that the IRB failed to adequately consider Ahmed's evidence and ordered a new determination by an officer not previously involved in the case. Ahmed's lawyer, Gökhan Toy, criticized the IRB for selectively interpreting evidence, which contributed to the court's decision to revisit the case. Ahmed's future in Canada now hinges on this new assessment.