The type of abuse, exploitation and degrading treatment we faced from job agencies, training centers, employers, public service, etc. for their own financial benefit, due to a loophole in the justice system was as follows: -

1) We are professional accountants and administrators however when we apply for jobs in the same field, the employers and job agencies reply that we would be over-qualified or under qualified for the positions applied or that our skills and experience are foreign. However these same positions are given to Canadian born individuals with alarming regularity. In some cases even to a fair skinned person from another country who does not have any qualification, skills or experience in that field. – Violation of Article 2(1)  Internaional Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

2) Selladuari Premakumaran’s qualification was assessed to Canadian standards and that means he has a Canadian equivalency, and Nesamalar Premakumaran has obtained Canadian qualification and Certification in the Canadian Payroll Management. However when we apply for jobs this fact is ignored and the employer will try to employ us at a very low rate mainly to clear backlogs or for a short period of time (3 months) because, there is a loophole in the system that allows such exploitation. – Violation of Article 2(1) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

3) We had been forced into very degrading situation of cleaning toilets and shoveling snow at very low rates to survive. At the same time we faced bullying, threats and lived in fear of losing that very job to survive no matter how menial it was   – Violation of Article 7 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It now turns out that immigrants report this as a normal state of affairs when they first come to this country and many still live in with this nightmare.

4) We had lived in a cramped apartment that was filled with ants, mice and black mold. At the early stages the landlord took an additional $150 a month rent from us for himself without the property owner knowing. When we made a complaint to the Landlord and Tenants Board the only reply we got was “Welcome to the Wild West”. It took 8 years for us to be able to move from the apartment to another rented accommodation, which is known as a townhouse. However because there is no rent control, we are faced with very high rent increases on a yearly basis however our income remains static.

5) At the early stages, we faced a lot of racial discrimination at the apartments we stayed. Our children then 9, 7 and 2 years of age could not play safely outside without facing racial attack. On one occasion the tenant above us kept pumping ice-cold water on the children during winter when they came out to play. Our complaints went unheard by the management of the building and the police, until one day Selladurai Premakumaran in his frustration, made a call to the police and stated that if the police do not take action and put a stop to this racial attack, they will find a dead body upstairs. We had to put a threat to the police to get them to come down and end that attack and for the management of the building to take the necessary step.


6) Due to the fact we were unemployed before the last child was born, we lost all forms of maternity, paternity and social benefits that would have helped the family to survive during the time of pregnancy and after. Nesamalar Premakumaran had worked in menial jobs, cleaning houses, in some cases dangerous situations when she was carrying the youngest child. Her medical condition detoriated and despite this she was forced back into work three days immediately after the child was born against her doctor’s advice. This caused various side effects such as damage to her health. 


7) Our children have been subjected to various forms of racial discrimination and bullying that no human being should have to face in a so-called First World Country. It has resulted in one child’s future being affected leading to his distrust in the Canadian justice or school system.


8) Due to our financial situation we were not able to afford legal counsel to bring our cases forward. Our search for a legal counsel has been documented as an attachment and indexed under -Appendix 2

[Exhibit 14:- Appendix 2 – Looking for a Legal Counsel]