Surrey Leader 

Refugee claimant Laibar Singh barely flinches as the needles slide into the skin on his fingers, arms and shoulders.

Apart from the odd gasp, the paralyzed 48-year-old looks content as he receives one of two weekly acupuncture sessions from Dr. Sarabjit K Romana, a registered acupuncturist from Surrey.

Back in the hospital bed in Abbotsford’s Sahib Kalgidhar Darbar Temple where he sought refuge more than a month ago, Singh has a full medical team caring for him, including a physiotherapist, a dentist and a psychologist.

“People think he is helpless,” said Sher-E-Punjab radio host Jasbir Singh Romana, who is visiting Singh. “There is a good reason for him to stay [in Canada]. If he goes back [to India] he will not get the same care as he gets here.”

The widowed father-of-four has been fighting to stay in Canada since he arrived in the country four years ago on a fake passport.