27 July 1999

Smuggled Into Canada - THE COMMENTARY

By Joseph Planta

Earlier this century, a Manitoban, I don’t remember who it was, said Canada is a cultural mosaic, a nation made of people from other nations. It’s an incredible country with such great promise to many who come from other countries. Last Tuesday, the 20th, A boatload of more than 100 people from China were intercepted by the Canadian Coast Guard. They were probably bound for Canada in a rusty tin-can of a boat, that had been at sea for 38 days. Some have said that this situation is typical of an illegal human-smuggling operation being operated by those in the ‘underworld’.

I am not in any way shape or form against immigration coming into Canada. If immigration were banned, my family and your families wouldn’t be here either. What is troubling about this particular situation, is that these people have spent large amounts of money for the opportunity of boarding this ship and heading into Canada, be it illegally. Those in charge of sponsoring this scheme are making, if you’ll pardon the pun, a boatload of dough in getting these Chinese into Canada. They’ve got no money and so once in this country of ours, they apply for refugee status and then get on welfare or get jobs to pay for the passage into Canadian waters. Reports have indicated that fare on this rusty vessel would go into the tens of thousands. Perhaps these individuals were, had this scheme gone undetected, going to go into the ‘underworld’ themselves, or most likely going to the U.S. in search of a better life. But it looks like these individuals will stay in Canada.

What is disturbing for me is that many people from all other kinds of countries are wanting to get into Canada and doing so through the legal and proper channels. They’ve gone and got their papers and their interviews and are waiting patiently in line. As I said, perhaps these people were to go into the ‘underworld’, but I doubt that. I think these people genuinely want to come into Canada and savor the fruits of democracy, but jumping the queue, in an illegal way such as this is wrong. Why should they be let in while there are people who are waiting patiently within the system. Another difficult thing with regards to this issue is that this could have been the first, of this kind of operation, that actually got caught.

Now it’s time for the system to sort through these people and see if they are in any danger should they set foot once again in China. The people on this ship have all claimed refugee status and the refugee status system should determine that. But the minute they got into B.C. waters, Canadian waters for that matter, they should have been sent back. None of these people were in line for immigrant status, nor had any papers claiming any status whatsoever. There is a system in place and that system should be followed until the powers that be deem it should be changed. I admit it’s a flawed system that’s full of bureaucratic red tape, but it’s the law and thus followed accordingly. Letting these individuals into the country like this, is condoning their actions. Sooner or later we’ll have boats from all nations reaping the precedence set by this ship. And the laws that govern this great nation of ours will be deemed null and void and Canadians will no longer have laws that stand for anything.

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