Public Institutions Failed Alleged McArthur Victims
April 20, 2018 – The Canadian Tamil Congress expresses our deepest condolences to the victims, families, and the LGTBQ+ community during these difficult times as we mourn the deaths of Bruce McArthur’s alleged victims.
The Tamil-Canadian community is in shock and profound sadness over these deaths.
Skanda Navaratnam and Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, both alleged victims of Bruce McArthur, were refugee claimants who fled a war torn homeland for safety and security to land in harm’s way in the very place they sought protection.
Kanagratnam arrived in 2010 off the coast of British Columbia on the MV Sun Sea, along with 491 other Tamil refugees, after fleeing the violence in Sri Lanka. Like many on board, he suffered severe loss due to the war, including his brother who was killed in the armed conflict and he did not want to face a similar fate that was imminent.
It is widely reported that both Navaratnam’s and Kanagaratnam’s multiple intersectional identities made them immensely vulnerable and susceptible to the dangers they faced and ultimately their untimely demise. Their immigration status and, in the case of Navaratnam, his sexual orientation had this effect.
It is clear that multiple state institutions and community support systems have failed them. In particular, we are concerned that their precarious immigration status left both Navaratnam and Kanagaratnam in isolation and easy targets. We are also concerned by the failure by the Toronto Police Services to investigate in a timely manner.
Canada continues to assess refugees at what Federal Court Justice Shirzad S. Ahmed recently described as an “impossible standard” in the case of Suresh Nagarasa, who is exemplary of the traumatization refugees suffer at the whim of Canadian immigration.
The Canadian Tamil Congress calls on the Government of Canada to review the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to ensure that sensible standards and timelines are in place to process refugee claims and provide necessary protection – a failure to do so will sadly stand in the way of preventing further tragedies.
The Canadian Tamil Congress in partnership with Alliance of South Asians for AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), International Human Rights and Canadian Refugee Advocacy organizations will be holding a memorial in honour of the victims. See below for details:
Date: Thursday, April 26th 2018
Time: 6: 30 pm
Venue: JC’s Banquet Hall, 1686 Ellesmere Road, Scarborough, Ontario M1H 2V5
Media Inquiries:
David Poopalapillai, Spokesperson, Canadian Tamil Congress:
905-781-7034 | david@canadiantamilcongress.ca
Haran Vijayanathan, Executive Director, Alliance of South Asians for AIDS Prevention:
416-529-7161 | ed@asaap.ca