(BARRHAVEN, OTTAWA, CANADA) Nearly two years after the Ottawa mass murder that shocked this quiet suburb, the surviving father is urging Canada’s immigration department to act on a stalled case tied to his family’s future. Friends and relatives of the victims say Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has not moved beyond an “approved in principle” decision on the father’s permanent residency request on Humanitarian and compassionate considerations, leaving him and his extended family in limbo despite repeated calls for help.
The attack and its aftermath
The attack on March 6, 2024, in a townhouse in Barrhaven, left six people dead and one injured, police said at the time. The injured survivor, identified by the family as Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, lost his wife, Darshani Ekanayake, and their four children, ages seven, four, three, and two months. A family friend also died.
In November 2025, the accused, Febrio De-Zoysa, pleaded guilty and received life imprisonment, closing the criminal case but not the family’s immigration questions that remain stuck with the federal government.
The immigration file: approved but unfinished
Relatives say Wickramasinghe’s path to stability has depended on a permanent residency application filed on compassionate grounds, a measure used in exceptional hardship cases.
- According to the family, IRCC approved his application “in principle” almost a year before November 2025.
- No final decision has followed and no timeline has been provided.
- Supporters say the Ottawa mass murder created a clear and urgent case for swift processing, and they fault the immigration department for months of silence.
“We’ve heard nothing meaningful since the approval in principle,” a family representative said, describing an anxious wait as rent, grief counseling, and daily life costs mount.
Community pressure and calls for action
Calls for action have grown louder as community leaders revisit promises of help first made in the weeks after the killings. The family says the lack of progress has deepened their loss, turning what should have been a stabilizing step into another chapter of uncertainty.
They want IRCC to:
- finish the file,
- confirm permanent residence, and
- set out a plan for longer-term support so the father can rebuild his life in Ottawa without the risk of removal or the strain of temporary status.
The family’s appeal is plain: prioritize the surviving parent of six murder victims and finish the file.
Systemic issues and legal perspectives
The case highlights a policy point that rarely gains public attention: how long humanitarian files can sit even when the facts are not in dispute. Family advocates say their emails and calls have received form responses or no response at all.
Immigration lawyers note several common causes of delay:
- Background checks and document reviews that remain incomplete months later.
- Urgent files getting lost in large queues unless flagged and managed by a dedicated officer.
While those explanations describe the system, they do not ease the burden on a survivor left to press for updates after one of the worst crimes in the city’s history.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, public pressure often rises when families with strong compassionate grounds face long waits after a tragic event because the human cost of delay is so visible.
What supporters are asking from officials
The family’s supporters have asked federal officials to step in, arguing that the immigration department should treat this file as a priority and communicate clearly about next steps.
They point to the timing: with the criminal case over, they say there is no legal uncertainty to justify a pause. Community leaders who rallied around the family in 2024 are back in contact with Ottawa-area MPs to push for answers, noting that the father’s recovery depends on a stable future in Canada.
Permanent status would allow him to:
- access longer-term services,
- secure work without fear of removal, and
- avoid the strain of temporary status or paperwork gaps.
IRCC has emphasized in general statements that humanitarian requests receive careful review and that each case is unique. Its public guidance explains that relief can be granted in exceptional cases when removal or lack of status would cause unusual and undeserved hardship.
Families in Ottawa point to that language as proof that the father’s situation meets the threshold many times over, given the scale of the loss. They want clear communication, firmer timelines, and a decision that matches what they see as the obvious merits of this file.
Broader implications
Advocates worry about the message this delay sends to other victims who may need the protection that permanent residence provides. Their concerns include:
- If a high-profile survivor must wait this long after an approval in principle, other families with less public attention could face even longer delays.
- The family’s appeal seeks not only a decision for one man but a signal that Canada will move quickly in extreme cases.
- A completed decision is seen as a basic form of dignity after a loss that cannot be repaired.
Current status and next steps requested
As the second anniversary of the killings approaches, the family is asking for:
- a direct meeting with IRCC officials,
- a firm plan to finish the file,
- clear, written updates, and
- a target date for a final decision.
The father continues to receive community support in Barrhaven and has tried to keep focused on routine. Relatives say the silence from the immigration department adds fresh stress to each month that passes, and they argue the case should not require further evidence or advocacy to cross the finish line.
Officials have not said when a final decision will come, but the family hopes the case will be flagged and fast-tracked.
For those seeking more information about how these decisions are normally handled, public guidance on humanitarian requests is available on the IRCC website at Humanitarian and compassionate considerations.
For now, though, the focus in Barrhaven remains on one file, one father, and a community’s pledge not to let the bureaucratic process overshadow a need that could not be more clear.
This Article in a Nutshell
Nearly two years after the March 6, 2024 Barrhaven mass murder, survivor Dhanushka Wickramasinghe remains in limbo despite an IRCC “approved in principle” decision on his compassionate permanent residency application. With the accused sentenced to life in November 2025, family and community supporters say there is no legal reason to delay finalizing the file. Advocates cite systemic delays—background checks, documentation and large queues—and call on IRCC to fast‑track the case, provide clear timelines, and confirm permanent status so the father can access long‑term services and stability.
