[EyeBrock]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Ya know EB, I was thinking last night about this very issue and how you said that this is a much bigger problem than the occassional ship hitting our shores.
I think what makes the difference in reaction is when they arrive by plane, it's kind of instant. But when they come by boat, we have weeks of advance notice and still do nothing. I think that's why there's more hue and cry about the boats than the planes.

It's been the same for years. I used to fly through Gander a lot and they would always get a good crop of Cubans hiding in the toilets when a Cubana flight staged through for fuel.

When I first came to Canada I worked a crappy job at YYZ for a year or so. They would get 10-30 a day most days, depending on the flight's source country. Sometimes they would get 50 plus. I remember a time when they were getting swamped daily by Roma refugee claimants in the hundreds. Half a flight would claim refugee status.

[EyeBrock]

andyt andyt:

You have a part of it PA, but not the biggest bit. On planes they arrive in dribs and drabs, spread out over several airports. And the media isn't there to record each arrival. If they did, I'm sure people's hair would stand on end - for a bit, then they'd get used to it, just like we'll probably get used to the ships arriving.

I don't like how Harper is trying to make a distinction between people that come in a boatload and those that come by air. It makes it seem like he's doing something, when in fact it covers up that for the largest numbers he's not doing anything at all. Tho I'm not sure how much he could do with the opposition eager to harvest any votes they can. Unfortunately the average Canadian doesn't give much of a shit about this, while the immigrant blocks care a lot and swing votes to what they see as their interest.

I agree andy. I think they are using the public anger to force the issue but it should be applied to all refugee claimants.

My view is that the Libs will be forced to back the 'trafficking in persons' bill, plus I don't think it will annoy too many of their voter base.

If they tack on all refugees I don't think the Libs will support as they would get too much flak on it from Liberal voters.

[desertdude]

Ah I was thinking more along the lines that south east asian countries were on top of the list, which knowing by personal experience are not free at all to travel and have to do a lot of leg work just to secure visas.

And countires like Pakistan one of the 1st countries to introduce biometric passports made it quite tough to get false documents, Which I guess kinda explains the drop in the illegals from there.

[andyt]

If you look at Brocks CBC link, there were a goodly number from India and Pakistan that applied. Sri Lanka seems to hold the record. Claimants from some African countries seem to do best at having claims accepted - 100%

So even if it's hard to get a fake passport in Pstan - somehow people manage to get here.

[EyeBrock]

desertdude desertdude:

Ah I was thinking more along the lines that south east asian countries were on top of the list, which knowing by personal experience are not free at all to travel and have to do a lot of leg work just to secure visas.

And countires like Pakistan one of the 1st countries to introduce biometric passports made it quite tough to get false documents, Which I guess kinda explains the drop in the illegals from there.

Mexico was the highest until Harper imposed a visa requirement. China is well up there too.

[desertdude]

andyt andyt:

If you look at Brocks CBC link, there were a goodly number from India and Pakistan that applied. Sri Lanka seems to hold the record. Claimants from some African countries seem to do best at having claims accepted - 100%

So even if it's hard to get a fake passport in Pstan - somehow people manage to get here.

Well its still pretty corrupt and still a lot of old hand written ones floating around. I've still got one, looks like a 5th grader filled it up !

[Chumley]

desertdude desertdude:

andyt andyt:

If you look at Brocks CBC link, there were a goodly number from India and Pakistan that applied. Sri Lanka seems to hold the record. Claimants from some African countries seem to do best at having claims accepted - 100%

So even if it's hard to get a fake passport in Pstan - somehow people manage to get here.

Well its still pretty corrupt and still a lot of old hand written ones floating around. I've still got one, looks like a 5th grader filled it up !

I don't think it's all fake passports either. There must also be people who were regarded as respectable enough to warrant the ability to travel that show up and claim refugee status.

[desertdude]

Well I'll tell you from pakistans POV atleast the respectable or people who can afford to mostly don't do this kind of thing.

These are usually poor people who sell everything they have and have scammers get fake papers about them being geniue bussiness travellers or vistors etc etc

Anyways not really important to the discussion

[ASLplease]

dont we have some submarines that can deal with this?