Canada MP backed ex-LTTE member

Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is facing criticism after it was revealed that he had written letters supporting the immigration application of a man deemed by Canadian authorities to be a former member of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Anandasangaree wrote letters in 2016 and 2023  prior to his cabinet appointments urging the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to reconsider its longstanding rejection of Sri Lankan national Senthuran Selvakumaran’s permanent residency bid.

The CBSA has denied Selvakumaran’s application since 2005, citing his alleged “protracted involvement” with the LTTE, which is designated as a terrorist organization in Canada. In a 2023 letter, Anandasangaree described the agency’s refusal to reunite Selvakumaran with his Canadian wife and daughter as “cruel and inhumane.”

The letter came just days before Anandasangaree was appointed Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. He became Public Safety Minister in May this year.

While the minister has since recused himself from all LTTE-related files, critics including a former CSIS intelligence analyst have called his actions “an egregious error” and demanded his resignation. Advocacy groups have also expressed concern about political interference in national security matters.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has stood by Anandasangaree, stating that the minister has acted transparently and continues to have his full confidence.

Last week, the Federal Court upheld the CBSA’s decision, citing national security and public safety concerns.

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