A convicted human smuggler has come under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that he was issued a new Canadian passport despite court orders prohibiting him from obtaining travel documents. The revelation has sparked calls for urgent investigations into the procedures of Service Canada and the oversight mechanisms in place.
Thesingarasan Rasiah, who was convicted for violating the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act by orchestrating the smuggling of individuals across the U.S.-Canada border for financial gain, was found to have received a new passport on April 11, 2023. At the time, Rasiah was under strict home confinement and electronic monitoring, with a court mandate to surrender his original passport and a clear directive forbidding him from applying for new travel documents.
The Liberal government issued a fresh Canadian passport to a convicted human smuggler linked to the deaths of nine people on the St. Lawrence River despite having his travel documents revoked and being banned from applying for a new passport.
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) November 21, 2024
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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) uncovered the unauthorized passport during a comprehensive search of Rasiah’s residence in Montreal in June 2023. This search was part of a broader investigation into an alleged international human smuggling ring that Rasiah is believed to have led. The discovery raised immediate red flags about potential lapses in the issuance process and the enforcement of judicial orders.
Rasiah’s troubles began in April 2021 when he was apprehended in Cornwall, Ontario, for smuggling a Sri Lankan national into Canada. Following his arrest, he was charged and subsequently sentenced to 15 months in prison. Despite the conditions of his release, the issuance of a new passport allowed him greater mobility and potentially facilitated further illicit activities.
The situation escalated in May 2024 when Rasiah was re-arrested on fresh charges related to leading a large-scale human smuggling operation that trafficked hundreds of individuals across the Canada-U.S. border. Authorities are now investigating the extent to which Rasiah’s ability to obtain a new passport may have contributed to the expansion of his smuggling network.
In response to the scandal, Conservative MP Tom Kmiec, the critic for immigration, refugees, and citizenship, has called for an emergency parliamentary meeting to scrutinize the circumstances that allowed a convicted smuggler to obtain a new passport. “This incident highlights significant gaps in our passport issuance and monitoring processes,” Kmiec stated. “An immediate and thorough investigation is essential to prevent such breaches from occurring in the future.”
The case has also attracted media attention, with major outlets like the CBC initially reporting on the passport irregularities. The unfolding events have intensified debates over immigration policies and the effectiveness of current measures to prevent individuals with criminal backgrounds from exploiting legal documents for unlawful purposes.
Service Canada has yet to release a detailed statement regarding the issuance of Rasiah’s new passport, but officials have indicated that they are cooperating fully with the RCMP investigation. The department faces mounting pressure to review and strengthen its protocols to ensure compliance with court orders and to safeguard national security interests.
As the investigation continues, stakeholders from various sectors are urging for greater transparency and accountability within the governmental agencies responsible for immigration and document issuance. The Rasiah case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within the system and the critical need for robust oversight to protect the integrity of Canada’s borders.
