Criminals win if repatriation of
illegal Chinese isn't hastened, immigration minister tells
officials
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:
---
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:
---
Number of boats: Four
---
Number of people aboard: 599, including nine crew.
---
Exclusion orders (first step to deportation): 41
---
Refugee claims made: 549
---
Claims finalized: 453
---
Claims approved (as of April 26): 11.
---
Claims denied: 360
---
Claims withdrawn or abandoned: 82
---
Remaining in detention: 356
---
Wanted on warrants for failing to comply with conditions of
release: 79, including eight minors.
---
Removed from Canada: 23
---
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
© The Canadian Press, 2000