Minister defends letters for terrorist as ordinary MP work

Liberal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says he was just doing his job as a Member of Parliament when he previously wrote immigration pleas on behalf of an accused terrorist.

Source: Facebook, Gary Anandasangaree

In defence of his actions, Liberal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says he was just doing his job as a Member of Parliament when he previously wrote immigration pleas on behalf of an accused terrorist.

Anandasangaree was appointed as minister of public safety by Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this year. While acting as a Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Justice, he sent letters in both 2016 and 2023 to the Canada Border Services Agency in support of Senthuran Selvakumaran, a Sri Lankan national identified by immigration authorities as a member of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers terrorist organization.

The minister says he was simply “executing (his) duties” as an elected official.

“One of the major responsibilities of any Member of Parliament… is provision of services to individuals seeking help from our offices,” Anandasangaree told reporters Monday at an event in Toronto. “In this particular case, I was executing my duties as a Member of Parliament, one that I believe constituents expect me to do.”

Canada designated the LTTE as a terrorist entity in 2006. The group, banned in over 30 countries, is known for its suicide bombings in Sri Lanka and India and is widely credited with pioneering the use of explosive suicide vests.

CBSA officials found that Selvakumaran had worked for the LTTE and rejected his immigration application on national security grounds.

Anandasangaree said the case involved a Canadian woman seeking to reunite with her husband.

“Like all cases, there is advocacy involved, and part of that involves letters of support—and that’s exactly what was done in this case,” he said.

He noted that since 2015, his constituency office had handled over 9,500 case files, including those related to immigration and federal benefits.

“This is part and parcel of the work that every Member of Parliament does,” he said.

However, questions about the appropriateness of Anandasangaree’s involvement intensified after he was appointed minister of public safety in May, putting him in direct oversight of CBSA operations.

He confirmed that his office has since stopped issuing such letters.

“In my current role, it would be inappropriate,” he said.

“Ultimately, the decision will be coming to me as an individual.”

His final letter of support for Selvakumaran was sent just days before he was sworn into cabinet in 2023.

Selvakumaran, who has attempted to immigrate to Canada since 2005, initially admitted to working for the Tamil Tigers when questioned by both British and Canadian authorities. He later recanted, claiming he had received poor legal advice.

On July 9, the Federal Court dismissed his latest appeal and upheld CBSA’s rejection, citing national security concerns. The court acknowledged Anandasangaree’s support letter but ruled that the agency had acted appropriately.