Tuesday, July 27

JANE ARMSTRONG
British Columbia Bureau
Friday, July 23, 1999

CFB Esquimalt -- They may have broken every rule in the book to get here, but the 123 illegal Chinese immigrants whose decrepit boat was stopped off the coast of Vancouver Island on Tuesday could be released and settling into life in Canada in as little as two weeks.

"Depending on what co-operation we get, depending on what information we gather, I would say [the chances] are fairly good," said Jim Redmond, Citizenship and Immigration's Vancouver Island manager.

If they plan to apply for refugee status, those who are released will be given a place to stay and contacts in the Chinese community until their cases can be heard.

Now that they have reached Canadian soil, the illegal immigrants have certain rights under the Immigration Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, namely the right to legal counsel and the due process of law that Canadian citizens enjoy. They are also eligible for some health benefits.

Other countries have responded to the increase in illegal Chinese immigrants by tightening their rules. Earlier this year, Australia introduced prison sentences of up to 20 years for people convicted of smuggling humans.
Australia also increased coastal surveillance.

Over the past year, more than 860 people have been caught trying to enter Australia illegally by boat.

By yesterday afternoon, officials still had not formally interviewed the arrivals, 13 of whom are teenaged boys younger than 17. It appears they travelled on their own, without other family members, Mr. Redmond told reporters at an informal briefing outside the gated gymnasium that has been fashioned into a makeshift detention centre at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in suburban Victoria.

Authorities want to ensure the detainees are fully rested and healthy before they're interviewed. The delay meant federal officials still didn't know yesterday who they are nor who organized their ocean crossing.

However, officials believe they made the harrowing journey because they want to make Canada their home.

"They're seeking to enter Canada at this time, I presume, to live and work," Mr. Redmond said.

As of yesterday, the group had been fingerprinted and photographed. They spent the night on bunk beds in a gymnasium on the base. Mr. Redmond described them as compliant and subdued after their first night's sleep in Canada. No one contracted any serious illnesses aboard the ship despite filthy and cramped conditions.

The newcomers were feeling stronger yesterday after being fed chicken, rice and congee, a rice porridge they requested. Only one person required medical treatment, for an injured finger, Mr. Redmond said.

The dramatic interception of the 123 Chinese is the largest human-smuggling operation to be detected off the West Coast. However, immigration officials concede other boats may have eluded detection and landed safely. Just three weeks ago, police spotted a so-called phantom ship off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands that later sank. Passengers on that boat are believed to have reached shore safely and slipped into Canada.

For now, the most recent arrivals are holed up in the gymnasium and, for security reasons, have not been permitted to go outside. Authorities have provided them with board games to pass the time, but Mr. Redmond stressed that authorities have a lot of interviews and paperwork before them.

"This isn't a summer camp," he said. "We have a lot of work to do in the next seven days."

Officials must prepare each for a hearing before an immigration adjudicator within seven days, a right given to all would-be refugees who are detained.

At that time, if the person wants to claim refugee status, the adjudicator can decide to release him or her for the duration of the lengthy claim process.

Immigration officials say they still don't know how this particular smuggling ring was organized. However, Mr. Redmond said countries in the Pacific Rim have reported an escalation in such activity. He said smugglers, known as "snakeheads" in China, provide the vessel and demand exorbitant prices from passengers who want to make the journey.

One of the passengers in the boat intercepted Tuesday said he paid $38,000 (U.S.) to make the ocean crossing despite cramped, filthy conditions. The operation has its own organization on the Canadian side. People here are paid to meet the passengers and help slip them into Canada undetected.

"The pattern is that they are organized overseas," Mr. Redmond said. "It's co-ordinated. The vessels are co-ordinated. They are put on vessels, and yes, there is a co-ordinating body in Canada."

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