Two more Lankan asylum ships may set sail for Canada – Rohan
August 10, 2010 09:30 am
Rohan Gunaratna, head of a research center in
“[Because of] Canada’s response to Ocean Lady last year, the Tamil Tigers
decided to dispatch
The Ocean Lady, a migrant ship with 76 Tamil asylum seekers on board, arrived
on Canada’s west coast last October. Intercepted by the Emergency Response Team
of the RCMP, Canada’s national police, with support from the Canadian forces
and Canada Border Services Agency, the rusty freighter was boarded and detained
at Ogden Point in
The vessel’s passengers, all of whom claimed refugee status, were taken to a
correctional facility in
Many of the migrants’ refugee applications are still pending. The process,
which can cost the government up to $48,680 per applicant, could take several years.
The freighter, formerly Harin Panich 19, was originally bound for
Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay verified last week that
The Canadian navy, although having power in international waters, has refrained
from intercepting the ship on the grounds that the vessel has yet to appear as
a threat to national security.
Estimated arrival on Canada’s western coast is sometime this week, MacKay said
preparations are underway to receive the ship, including providing medical
attention for the sick on board.
“It’s a deadly journey,” David Poopalapillai, national spokesman for the
Canadian Tamil Congress, told the Globe and Mail.
“We understand why they are coming at the same time we understand there are
human smugglers that are making a fortune out of people’s misery. That should
be stopped too.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs told the Montreal Gazette that anybody caught
smuggling humans would not escape the law.
“Those responsible for migrant smuggling will be pursued, investigated and
prosecuted to the full extent of Canadian law and in accordance with the
provisions of international conventions and protocols,” spokeswoman Ambra
Dickie said.
Last May the Sri Lankan army defeated the Tamil rebellion, bringing an end to
the 26-year bloody civil war. Still, peace has not been achieved, and many
Tamil migrants are setting out on treacherous ocean voyages in order to escape
persecution in their own country.
Canadian Tamil advocacy groups are pressuring
Concerns that Tamil asylum seekers are not only a security threat but taking
advantage of Canada’s refugee system has put the government in the position of
upholding the country’s image as a safe haven for persecuted minorities while
combating the allegation Canada’s door is open to terrorists.
The Epoch Times