First Chinese
migrant refugee claim rejected WebPosted Aug 31 1999 10:24 AM PDT
VANCOUVER - A 16 year old boy from the
first boatload of Chinese migrants has had his claim for
refugee status dismissed by Canadian authorities. He is the
first of more than 170 boat people to have their refugee
claims heard by the Immigration and Refugee board.
The boy told the closed hearing he was afraid he'd be
arrested in China because his mother is a Christian. He said
he had to run away from police because they tried to stop him
from handing out her religious pamphlets.
The boy said his aunt felt he'd be safe in Canada, so she
paid a 'snakehead', or travel agent, to get him on the first
migrant boat that landed off Vancouver Island in July.
However, the two panel members on the Refugee Board didn't
buy his story. They said there were too many inconsistencies.
Don Bohun is the boy's lawyer. He says, "The boy was very,
very frightened. I think he was giving answers he thought the
board wanted to hear."
Bohun says the hearing was fair, but much tougher than
others he's been too. He says the Immigration and Refugee
Board may have heard critics complaining that it's too easy to
make a refugee claim in Canada. Bohun says, "They're going to
be rigorous and cautious and thorough about all these
refugees." Most of the other Chinese boat people will have
their refugee claims heard next month. Bohun says it is most
likely his client will be deported.
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