Canada wary of third Tamil immigrant ship entering country’s waters

OTTAWA - After concerns were raised in the past two years over two vessels carrying Tamil immigrants reaching Canada, officials are now reportedly investigating whether a third ship is attempting to ferry Tamil migrants from Sri Lanka to the country.

According to The BBC, authorities are using satellites to determine the location of the ship.

Public safety ministry spokesman David Charbonneau has said that a third vessel was rumoured to be in international waters.

Canadian immigration officials have detained nine foreign nationals on Thursday, who were found hiding onboard a container ship that arrived at the Port of Montreal from Morocco.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced that Canada will unveil a new law to deter illegal migrants and added that the current laws in the country are not efficient enough to deter human trafficking, which he says “will increase in the years to come, unless we make significant changes to our law, to provide serious deterrents”.

He further warned that attempts to enter Canada through migrant ships were “unacceptable” and added that the government will amend the immigration act to dither illegal immigration.

In August, officials detained 492 Tamil migrants who arrived on board the MV Sun Sea from Sri Lanka. In 2009, another vessel carrying 76 Tamil asylum seekers reached Columbia. (ANI)