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July 30, 1999 Migrant detention reviews wrap upVANCOUVER (CP) -- All but eight teens among a group of 123 illegal Chinese immigrants will have to spend another week in custody.By Friday afternoon Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicators had ruled that 115 refugee claimants were to be detained further to give officials more time to determine their identities. The board will review the detention orders within seven days. The eight teenaged boys between the ages of 14 and 17 were released into the custody of provincial social workers Wednesday. On Thursday authorities transferred 19 migrants suspected of being involved in the human smuggling operation to the Vancouver Pretrial Centre. The rest remained at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt under the watchful eyes of RCMP guards. The mood of the rest of the refugee claimants has improved since the suspected smugglers were moved, officials said. "Everyone seems to be calm, at ease, relaxed," Immigration spokeswoman Lorna Tessier said Friday as detention hearings for migrants wrapped up. The would-be refugees had been held at the suburban Victoria military base since July 21. Their dilapidated ship was found listing off the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island the day before. Police and Immigration officials suspect the human smuggling operation may be linked to organized crime groups. They said they believe the 19 segregated from the group were suspected crew members and "enforcers." All 19 -- three minors among them -- will remain in the Vancouver jail unless the Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator decides they should be released. The jail is "definitely a more secure facility than the gymnasium," where the others are still being kept, said Immigration spokesman Rob Johnston. Officials said there was a lot of fear among the general population of migrants, some of whom paid up to $38,000 US for transport across the ocean in the precarious vessel. Immigration officials expected to finish up detention reviews for the refugee claimants Friday. They sought to have all but a group of teenage boys kept in custody for another seven days because they were unsure of their identities. The law requires another review after that. Eight teens aged 14 to 17 were released to the custody of the provincial Ministry of Children and Families. Immigration officers have been working by telephone with officials in China to establish the identities of the refugee claimants. If authorities are satisfied with the identities, they can seek further detention if they believe the person poses a risk to public safety or might not show up for future immigration proceedings. Tessier said no criminal records have yet been discovered. Do you have an opinion about one of our stories?Know someone who might be interested in this page? Just type in the email address to send them the URL
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