CHANGLE, China (CP) - Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan finished an eight-day trip to China on Thursday, saying failure to speed up repatriation of illegal Chinese could "unravel progress already made, signalling a victory for the organized criminals."

In several meetings with foreign news media during the week, Caplan repeatedly emphasized two goals for her visit: to expedite the return of illegal immigrants to China and tell young people in China about the dangers of "putting their futures in the hands of snakeheads," a reference to local criminals who organize illegal immigration.

The minister did not provide exact details of her meetings with central and local government and security officials. However, a source close to the discussions said progress was hampered by China's refusal to hasten the provision of travel documents for 100 illegal Chinese immigrants in Canada who are ready to be returned home.

The source said China indicated an unwillingness to accept batches of returnees, calling on Canada to return whole boatfuls.

The source said China - sensitive to criticism about its human-rights record - is miffed Canada was considering claims by immigrants applying for refugee status based on human-rights concerns. The source said China has been pushing for Canada to have illegal immigrants returned en masse upon arrival in Canada to avoid claims for refugee status.

Of the 599 illegal Chinese immigrants caught last year attempting to enter Canada on boats, 11 have been granted refugee status, 356 remain in detention centres and about 100 cases still have to be finalized.

So far, 23 have already been removed from Canada and sent back to China.

The 11 migrants who have been granted refugee status, include one woman who said she would be punished for failing to observe China's strict birth-control policies and a Roman Catholic who was involved in proselytizing.

Caplan said she repeatedly emphasized in her meetings with Chinese officials that everyone in Canada must be accorded due process of law.

"I know there are some things they don't like about our laws," Caplan said during a visit to the coastal village Xiasha.

"But this is not just about boats, containers and planes carrying illegal immigrants. It's about transnational smuggling and human slavery."

She said further the Canadian government cannot keep people in detention centres indefinitely and called on China and Canada to work together to expedite the processing of travel documents for returnees.

"It will all unravel, if we fail to do that," she said.

"And if that happens, the snakeheads will have won."

Zhang Xingkui, vice-mayor of Changle, said the local government adopted four measures to slow the pace of people leaving China illegally: education, increased police patrols along the coast, the handing down of severe punishment for organized criminals involved in the trade of humans and improving economic conditions to provide more job opportunities for young people.

Several hours of travelling along Changle roads Thursday, however, found none of the "propaganda material" local officials said they had deployed - most of the many signs on the side of houses advocating adherence to the government's one-child policy.

However, there were numerous examples of what lures many natives of Fujian province to risk their lives to leave the country: row after row of shiny, tall new buildings being slapped up along highways and small roads around Changle,

many reputedly being built with funds sent back home from North America.

Caplan said she hoped during her visit she would be able to put across a message to the young people of China about the dangers of "putting their lives in the hands of snakeheads."

However, there did not appear to be much, if any, coverage of the minister's frank descriptions of the grim reality faced by many Chinese who leave the country illegally.

Representatives of the China's news media stayed away from her news conference in the Chinese capital Beijing, despite the fact invitations went out to some 40 publications. And in Fuzhou, Caplan's visit was reported on the

local TV station Thursday morning, in a report that highlighted friendly relations between China and Canada. There was no mention of the dangers Chinese face when they try to leave China through illegal means

Just one Chinese reporter, from the Fujian Daily newspaper, covered her second day in Changle and Caplan made a strong personal plea: "I hope you'll help me get the message across," she told the reporter.

"We need to warn your young people of the dangers and tell the snakeheads that they will not succeed. The lives of your young people are at risk."

Caplan conceded she was "frustrated" by the failure of the local news media to report her comments on the dangers of illegal immigration, which she hoped would deter some Chinese from attempting to leave the country illegally.

"I'm disappointed that this has not been getting as much attention as I had hoped," she said.

"But I'm still trying."

She said she was direct in her conversations with Changle officials: "I was frank and blunt in expressing my concern for the children - whom I would like to see come home to China as soon as possible -and about the need to stop this."

Caplan told Changle officials about rumours in Canada that local Chinese officials may be involved in the illegal immigration. When asked what the response of the officials was to these rumours, she replied: "They heard me."

Despite the lack of concrete progress, Caplan remained optimistic, saying: "The Great Wall was not built in one day."

"There's still a lot of work to do," she said.

"And this problem won't be solved overnight. It's going to take ongoing and concerted effort."

Caplan and her delegation left Changle for Hong Kong on Thursday.

The arrival of four Chinese migrant ships off the coast of British Columbia last summer began a debate in Canada over the way to handle such illegal migrants. Some significant dates:

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July 20, 1999: A ship arrives off coast of British Columbia carrying 123 people, all seeking refugee status.

Aug. 9: Ship arrives in Gilbert Bay near the Queen Charlotte Islands, with 140 on board. Most claim refugee status.

Aug. 30: Ship arrives in Esperanza Inlet, off northwestern coast of Vancouver Island, with 190 on board. Most claim refugee status but 33 are issued exclusion orders, the first step to deportation.

Sept. 2: Ten Chinese teenagers are found on a truck crossing the Quebec border into Vermont. Their applications for refugee status are later rejected.

Sept. 9: Fourth ship arrives off coast of British Columbia with 146 people on board. Most claim refugee status.

Jan. 3, 2000: 25 Chinese migrants are found hidden on a freighter that tried to land in Seattle but was sent to dock in Vancouver. Thirty-nine people are found on two other ships docked in Seattle; most are returned to Hong Kong.

April 6: Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan announces changes to the Immigration Act that would crack down on human smuggling, including penalties of up to $1 million for those convicted of smuggling illegal immigrants into Canada.

April 20: Caplan travels to China for a 10-day visit to discourage illegal migration to Canada.

April 26: Caplan meets officials in China's southeastern Fujian province, and urges more be done by both sides to speed up return of illegal immigrants to their homeland.

April 27: Caplan wraps up trip to China, expressing regret Chinese officials seem unwilling to expedite return of illegals from Canada.

Here are some facts about the status of Chinese migrants who arrived by boat off the British Columbia coast last summer:

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Number of boats: Four

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Number of people aboard: 599, including nine crew.

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Exclusion orders (first step to deportation): 41

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Refugee claims made: 549

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Claims finalized: 453

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Claims approved (as of April 26): 11.

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Claims denied: 360

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Claims withdrawn or abandoned: 82

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Remaining in detention: 356

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Wanted on warrants for failing to comply with conditions of release: 79, including eight minors.

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Removed from Canada: 23

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Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

© The Canadian Press, 2000