LTTE uses refugee system to lure supporters - Former Canadian HC

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LTTE uses refugee system to lure supporters - Former Canadian HC

'Around 8000 trained terrorists in Toronto'

Tamil Tigers have made "particular use of the refugee system to get in their supporters, they have operated a lot of the people-smuggling that got people in over the last 20 years", Ottawa's former High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Martin Collacott, said.

"And at one point, the Toronto Police task force estimated there were 8,000 trained Tamil terrorists in Toronto alone, so, it's been used both for just getting people in who wouldn't qualify normally by international standards, but also for getting terrorists into Canada. And it's expected, it's believed that there are quite a few Tamil Tigers, or their supporters, on this ship" he said in an interview with CTV.
He said Tamil migrants are making the choice to come to Canada because it is seen as "the easiest mark in the world" for prospective refugees of any background.
"And even if you're turned down, the chances are we won't be able to remove you. We remove a few, but we've had people who have been turned down 20 years ago, but are still appealing," he said Refugees are given state-funded lawyers, welfare and health care, which leaves the Canadian system as "the Rolls Royce of claiming refugee status," Collacott said.
For Tamil people, Canada is an especially desirable destination because of its large Tamil population and the high-rate of success for Tamil migrants over the years.
"Once they are in Canadian waters, they can't be turned back. Legally, we cannot turn them away, and it would be a very bad precedent for Canada to do so."
There have been reports suggesting that the MV Sun Sea could be carrying some members of the Tamil Tigers -- a banned terrorist organization in Canada -- who could be travelling alongside legitimate refugees.
In June 2000, the National Post reported that Toronto police believed up to 8,000 Tamils living in the city held links to Tamil terror groups, including the Tamil Tigers.
The MV Sun Sea is the second-such ship to make its way to Canadian soil since May last year.
The first ship to arrive was the Ocean Lady which landed in Victoria last October, carrying 76 Tamil men who applied for refugee status.
Courtesy: Policy Research & Information Unit of the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka