Dept. seeks more teeth to
detain migrants
WebPosted Thu Sep 23
07:43:19 1999
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - Immigration
Canada has issued more arrest warrants for Chinese migrants who've
skipped out on their refugee claims, and the department is seeking a
change in law to allow it to more easily detain foreigners trying to
enter the country illegally.
Here are the figures on the four migrant ships
known to have arrived off the B.C. coast this
summer:
Ship 1: Arrived July 20 off Nootka Sound; 123 aboard,
including 19 suspected smugglers; all seeking refugee status;
76 released; 37 still detained; 10 juveniles in care of B.C.
Children's Ministry; Canada-wide arrest warrants issued for 37
who disappeared after release.
Ship 2: Arrived Aug. 11 off Kunghit Island near Queen
Charlottes; 131 on board, including 44 unaccompanied
juveniles, five accompanied juveniles; five juveniles among
suspected organizers; 44 children in provincial care; all
others detained; exclusion orders (first step to deportation)
issued for 57; 74 refugee claims.
Ship 3: Spotted Aug. 31 off northwest coast of
Vancouver island; 190 on board, including 26 women, 29 teens;
129 refugee claims; 34 exclusion orders; all detained except
26 in provincial care.
Ship 4: Spotted Sept. 8 off coast; 146 on board,
including 14 juveniles; 125 refugee claims; seven exclusion
orders; up to 30 suspected crew members; all detained but
children expected to be transferred to provincial care. In
addition to the four known ships, two sunken vessels suspected
to have brought migrants have also been
discovered.
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Since July, four decrepit ships carrying a total of 599 men,
women and children from Fujian province in China have arrived off
British Columbia's coast.
The department has detained adults since the first arrival
because 38 of the 76 migrants from the first boat have disappeared
since being released on a promise to appear for their refugee
hearings.
Warrants have been issued.
"We have released no adults from boats two, three and four," said
Immigration spokesman George Varnai.
Varnai said the department has been considering for some time
recommending changes to immigration legislation to enact a more
aggressive detention policy.
The most up-to-date figures show 429 people in detention at
Esquimalt and six other provincial corrections facilities in the
Greater Vancouver area. Another 80 children and juveniles are in the
care of the B.C. Children's Ministry, while 98 deportation orders
have been issued, but most are under appeal.
Only one person from the 599 has so far reached the Immigration
and Refugee Board stage, which resulted in a rejection.
Some of the migrants currently housed at CFB Esquimalt and other
facilities are expected to be transferred to a mothballed jail in
Prince George.
Corrections official Bob Riches said staff are trying to spruce
up the facilities, being "mindful of the fact that they're not
accused of any crime."
"They're here on an immigration hold," Riches told CBC News.
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