July 16, 2010
A Thai cargo ship carrying more than 200 illegal Sri Lankan migrants may be headed for Canada, the National Post is reporting.
Canadian authorities are monitoring the vessel which is believed to be British Columbia-bound.
Sri Lanka's Sunday Observer reported over the weekend that the MV Sun Sea was headed for the Canadian coast, not Australia as initially thought.
The 59-metre ship was last seen in the Gulf of Thailand.
"This could end up being a prime example of individuals trying to take advantage of our generous immigration system," said Celyeste Power, spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Alain Cacchione said his department is aware of the report and that anybody caught smuggling humans would be prosecuted.
The Sun Sea has been under close watch by the Canadian government since May.
Canada and Australia had asked Thai officials then to board two vessels allegedly set to ferry migrants to the two countries.
Officials at the Thai embassy in Ottawa could not confirm whether any searches took place.
If confirmed, it would not be the first time a smuggling ship of this size has made its way to Canada.
The Ocean Lady, carrying 76 Sri Lankan migrants, arrived off the B.C. coast last October.
After being released from custody, most of them joined Toronto's large Tamil community, where rumours are growing that more vessels may be on their way.
According to the Sunday Observer, a state-owned newspaper, the Sun Sea group is also from that country where a civil war between government forces and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels ended little more than a year ago.
Any new asylum seekers will be subject to Canada's new streamlined refugee system which took effect last month.
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