Canada Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is under scrutiny after Global News revealed he wrote letters supporting the Canadian immigration bid of a man deemed by officials to be a former member of the Tamil Tigers, a designated terrorist organization in Canada.
The letters, sent in 2016 and 2023 before Anandasangaree entered cabinet, urged the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to reconsider its long-standing rejection of Sri Lankan national Senthuran Selvakumaran. The agency has denied his application for permanent residence since 2005, citing his “protracted involvement” with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
In a 2023 letter, Anandasangaree called the CBSA’s refusal to reunite Selvakumaran with his Canadian wife and daughter “cruel and inhumane.” The letter was sent just days before Anandasangaree was appointed Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. He became Public Safety Minister in May 2025.
While Anandasangaree has since recused himself from all files involving the LTTE or its alleged Canadian front group, the World Tamil Movement, critics argue his prior intervention raises serious questions. Former CSIS analyst Phil Gurski called it “an egregious error” and demanded his resignation. Advocacy group Secure Canada said MPs should not intervene in cases involving alleged terror links.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, defended the minister, saying Anandasangaree “has been transparent” and retains his confidence.
The Federal Court last week upheld the CBSA’s decision to deny Selvakumaran ministerial relief, citing national security and public safety as overriding concerns.
Selvakumaran, who previously admitted to distributing LTTE propaganda in the 1990s, has since denied involvement, blaming legal advice for initial statements made during his asylum claim in the U.K. His appeals have been dismissed multiple times over the years.
Anandasangaree maintains he has issued no letters of support since joining cabinet and instructed staff to refrain from doing so. (Newswire)