Sri Lankan family deported after spending 5 years in Canada
A Sri Lankan family who spent five years in Canada was deported Sunday despite appeals to Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale to issue a reprieve.
Their flight took off from Montreal’s Trudeau airport Sunday evening.
Before leaving their home in Parc-Extension, Robert Lawrence, the father of the family, said they were all very sad, but still love Canada despite their deportation.
“What can you do? We have to all obey the rules and regulations,” Lawrence told CBC News.
“We enjoyed the last five years of our lives in Canada. Good lives.”
The family was applying for permanent residence in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. After review, their application was rejected.
He said members of his church in Outremont came to see them Sunday morning and they all cried together.
Lawrence worked for the United Nations in Sri Lanka’s Eastern province during the civil war which ended in the defeat of the separatist Tamil Tigers by the Sri Lankan government.
In 2012, he left the country in hopes of protecting his family from any backlash for the work he did during that time.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada would not comment on the family’s case but said, “a decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly.”
“Canada is committed to ensuring that people being removed from Canada are not sent to a country where they would be in danger or at risk of persecution,” spokesperson Scott Bardsley said.
NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice said deporting the family which had integrated into Quebec society over the years “makes no sense.”
Lawrence’s family includes his wife, three daughters, son and daughter-in-law and four-month-old baby.
(Source: CBC News)
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This is the endless cycle of persecution of minorities. Happens in all Buddhist states; eg Myanmar and the Rohingyas.
They will end-up in the secret torture chambers being operated.
The impunity in SL has reached monumental proportion under the Gamrala’s rule.
Mr Thuleepan Somasundaram. Nobody like you all mate. Even the liberal Canadians don’t like you all. But mostly you all don’t like each other. That’s why you don’t get anywhere. So keep blaming the Sinhalese and now Canadians.
It is so embrassing to see these Lankans especially in England and western Europe are working as slave to them for low wages . I have been telling these since from the beginning. They might have thought that they are living a life those could not achieve in their own country. But that’s not true. We live in peace in Sri Lanka except some Buddhist and Hindu extremists and soon there will be an end for them as Well.
Come on Mr. Somasundaram, Who prosecuted these unfortunate asylum seekers and sent back to Sri Lanka? Buddhists? It was done by the Canadian justice system. BTW, Who is this ‘Gamarala”?
Mr Thuleepan Somasundaram. Why don’t you immigrate to Tamil Nadu. That’s where you all belongs to. You should thank ask for giving asylum to you all to live in Sinhalese, Buddhist Sri Lanka. Go to Nadu and get help from Siva and Kalie.
Ashik Ole, It is an embarrassment for you to see Sri Lankans working as Slaves in Western Europe & England. But you comfortably forget Sri Lankan Housemaids working as Slaves (and even as sex slaves) in ME countries! Remember the under aged Muslim girl from Hambanthota? She was beheaded as they didn’t accept blood-money.
Ashik_ole . You forgot to mention a very impotent thing. Most of them got degrees from Srl Lanken universities.
Ranjith , so you except the value for degree in sl, moreover what degree my dear, i wonder you say about honda degree . by the way yes according to ur myths tamils pls migrate to south india tamil nadu and it is obvious to sinhalese pls migrate to north india bihar where sidhartha gauthama budhdha was born and raised and even where the Buddha attained enlightenment place called bodh ghaya ok . witnesses are plenty those idol worshipers who invade sri lanka . never ever claim sri lanka neither a buddhist nor hindu nation. shame on you people telling these , proudly you both could claim in india rather.
ashik_ole yes we came as masters Tamils came as our coolies.
Ranjith, Amarakoon and Ashik Ole,
Please, this is becoming intolerable because you guys simply hate Sri Lanka.
I gained a Bachelor’s Degree for UOSL, Peradeniya in 1979.
I have reached the peak of my career as the head of Mechanical Engineering in a ‘Top Ten’ US university.
In my staff of 450 persons, 98 are Sri Lankan University graduates.
Please, Ranjith, Amarakoon and Ashik Ole, stop throwing shit at SL Universities, forthwith.
That action is anti-Sri Lankan and, anti-Sinhala Buddhist.