கனடிய அரசு அகதிகளுக்கான சட்டங்களை மேலும் இறுக்கமாக்கவுள்ளது

Memo details human smuggling plan:

கனடிய அரசு அகதிகளுக்கான சட்டங்களை மேலும் இறுக்கமாக்கவுள்ளது

48 மணி நேரத்தில் தற்பொழுது நீதிபதிக்கு முன் நிறுத்தப்படும் அகதிகள் இனிவரும் காலங்களில் 2 கிழமை காத்திருக்க வேண்டும்.

By Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - Ottawa plans to create a new class of asylum seeker — the "mass arrival" — with tough new detention rules to deter human smugglers, The Canadian Press has learned.

That would mean that migrants who arrive in Canada in large numbers — such as the 492 Tamils who landed on the British Columbia coast aboard the MV Sun Sea last month — would have to wait two weeks instead of the current 48 hours for their first detention hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Keeping large numbers of migrants in detention for longer is a feature of proposed changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is expected to table in Parliament as early as this week.

The changes would also broaden the offence of human smuggling to target ring leaders who induce or aid someone coming to Canada.

The Harper government has vowed to toughen asylum laws to prevent human smugglers from staging a repeat of the mass arrival of Tamil migrants off Canada's west coast. The MV Sun Sea incident has sparked warnings that Asian criminal gangs will send more boats to Canada because the country is seen as a soft touch.

The government has asked the Federal Court of overturn a decision by the Immigration and Refugee Board to release four women who arrived on the Tamil ship.

The Canadian Press has obtained details of the government proposals, which are outlined in a draft memo.

The changes that are being contemplated would give the immigration minister new powers "to designate as a mass arrival" any large group refugee claimants, "where the minister is of the opinion that resources available to respond to the particular circumstances of the arrival mean examinations cannot be conducted in a timely manner."

The proposal doesn't say exactly how many people it would take for the government to make a determination that a "mass arrival" has occurred. But it specifies that once the minister makes that determination, the "existing grounds of detention" would be extended from the current legal requirements.

That would mean a seven-fold increase in the initial detention hearing from the current 48 hours to 14 days.

Subsequent detention reviews would be held at the expiry of a 60-day period, a doubling of the current 30-day requirement.

The added time in custody is designed to give authorities the time to investigate claimants' possible connection to serious criminal activity, including organized crime.

Kenney wrapped up a fact-finding mission on Monday to help him shape the government's crackdown on ships full of asylum seekers arriving on Canada's shores.

Kenney's office declined comment Monday evening. The spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews also declined comment, saying: "Details will be made available when we are in the position to make an announcement."

Kenney held talks Monday with his Australian counterpart, Chris Bowen. He also toured two Australian detention facilities in Melbourne and compared notes on that country's woes with dealing with human smuggling.

Australia detains illegal migrants at sea, sometimes keeping them on remote islands before they can have a refugee hearing.

The controversial practice was a major issue in Australia's recent federal election.

Kenney told reporters last week that he did not think Canada could emulate Australia's system, but that there were likely areas where the two countries could co-operate.

"Migrant smuggling and human trafficking are global problems," Kenney said Monday in a written statement. "Canada intends to work domestically and internationally to combat the crime and fraud associated with the treacherous journey some immigrants make to Canada. At the same time, we need to ensure that those in need of protection have access to it, and we look forward to working with partners such as Australia."

Kenney's office reiterated in the statement that the government is considering options to "reduce abuse of the system, while maintaining Canada's long-standing humanitarian tradition of providing protection to those in need."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last month that when large numbers of people come to Canada outside the proper channels, it leads to "significant security concerns."

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100920/national/human_smuggling_canada_plan