Human smuggler issued new Canadian passport after court ordered surrender of travel document 

The federal government recently issued a new passport to Thesingarasan Rasiah, a notorious human smuggler, despite being ordered to surrender his travel document as part of his court-imposed release conditions. This shocking discovery was made by RCMP investigators during a search of Rasiah’s Montreal home in June 2023 as part of a probe targeting the international human smuggling network he allegedly headed.

Rasiah, who was living under strict conditions at home with an electronic ankle bracelet while awaiting sentencing for breaching the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, had surrendered his passport to the RCMP in 2021 following a human smuggling attempt intercepted by police in Cornwall, Ontario. He was also prohibited from applying for any new travel documents.

However, despite these restrictions, a new passport issued by Service Canada on April 11, 2023, was found in Rasiah’s possession less than two weeks after eight bodies were recovered from the St. Lawrence River. This discovery raised concerns about the security of the Canadian passport system and the ability of law enforcement agencies to prevent known criminals from obtaining new passports.

Rasiah, who was sentenced to 15 months in jail in September 2023 for his role in the 2021 human smuggling attempt, was later re-arrested by the RCMP in May on charges of leading an international human smuggling organization responsible for moving hundreds of people across the Canada-U.S. border. Investigators also linked Rasiah’s organization to the deaths of nine individuals on the St. Lawrence River in March 2023.

Matthew Eamer, a former OPP detective-sergeant who investigated Rasiah’s activities for three years, revealed that Rasiah continued to organize smuggling runs across the border while awaiting sentencing for his previous guilty plea. Conservative critic Tom Kmiec called for an emergency meeting of the House of Commons’ citizenship and immigration committee to examine Rasiah’s case and hold Immigration Minister Marc Miller and federal passport officials accountable.

The current Canadian passport system was criticized by Kelly Sundberg, an associate professor of criminology, as the “weak link in the security chain.” Sundberg suggested that passports should be placed under the purview of the CBSA to improve security and prevent individuals like Rasiah from obtaining new travel documents.

Despite his criminal history, which includes possessing two Canadian passports not in his name in 2008 and pleading guilty to counselling misrepresentation in 2017, Immigration Canada stated that it couldn’t comment on Rasiah’s case due to privacy laws. However, the department emphasized its collaboration with law enforcement partners to address passport surrender orders and fraudulent activities related to travel documents.

Rasiah’s greed-driven motives were highlighted by Eamer, who recalled the emotional interrogation of a Sri Lankan national smuggled into Canada by Rasiah in 2021. The victim, who paid $7,000 to Rasiah for entry into Canada, expressed his hopes for refugee status and a better life in the country.

Overall, the case of Thesingarasan Rasiah sheds light on the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in combating human smuggling and the urgent need to enhance border security measures to prevent criminal activities and protect vulnerable individuals seeking a better future.