TODAY: Four Snowden refugees arriving in Canada
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Four of the Snowden refugees are currently on a plane flying to Canada and are expected to land in Toronto this afternoon. From there they will travel to Montreal, where they will start their new lives. Supun Thilina Kellapatha, Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis and children Sethumdi and Dinath are hours away from becoming permanent residents of Canada.
They join Vanessa Rodel and her daughter Keana (who is also Supun's daughter), who were accepted into Canada as privately-sponsored refugees in March of 2019. One of the Snowden refugees, Ajith Pushpakumara, remains in Hong Kong where his safety is still at risk.
For the Refugees, the non-profit sponsor for these refugees, is today renewing its call for the Canadian government to expedite processing of Ajith's application. Applications for all seven refugees were first filed in January 2017, and Ajith has now been waiting on this bureaucratic process for almost five years.
Photo/video availability:
What: Four of the Snowden refugees arriving at Pearson airport.
Where: They will exit through the international arrivals area of Terminal 1.
When: Today between 5:15 p.m. ET and 6:15 p.m. ET, depending on processing time.
Please note that there will be no interviews with the family. Representatives of For the Refugees will be available on site and by phone to answer questions.
BACKGROUND: in 2013 Edward Snowden revealed the scope of illegal surveillance being undertaken by his former employer, the NSA. Following these revelations, he found himself stranded in Hong Kong and pursued. Seven brave refugees originally from Sri Lanka and the Philippines agreed to take him in, and provide him shelter. They have had a target on their backs ever since.
A more detailed release is available at fortherefugees.com
SOURCE For the Refugees
News published on and distributed by:
