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Monday, August 23, 1999Migrants transferred from military baseVICTORIA (CP) -- Deportation orders have been issued for 57 of 131 Chinese migrants who came ashore on the Queen Charlotte Islands earlier this month.The other 74 have made refugee claims. Immigration authorities transferred 76 Chinese migrants from a suburban military base to Vancouver on Monday. The group included 44 unaccompanied minors and 32 adult females. The women will be taken to an undisclosed detention facility, while 39 of the 44 minors will be put into the care of the B.C. Children's Ministry. The other five minors will remain in custody, said Immigration spokesman Richard Saint-Louis. "We're still processing identification," he said. Detention reviews for the migrants remaining in custody will resume today in Vancouver. The would-be immigrants arrived Aug. 11 on remote Kunghit Island off the tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands on B.C.'s north coast after 60 days at sea. The would-be immigrants were dropped off on the rugged island, where they were picked up by Immigration authorities who had been tracking the unmarked ship. Nine crew members of the cargo ship which brought them were arrested at sea. They face charges and are being held in custody. It was the second illegal immigrant ship to arrive off the B.C. coast this summer. A decrepit vessel carrying 121 illegal Chinese migrants arrived July 20 in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. All those aboard the first ship have applied for refugee status in Canada. All but 37 have been released pending processing of their refugee applications. Some are being held on suspicion of involvement in the smuggling operation while officials are still trying to confirm the identities of others.
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