Due process should be followed, but I imagine many of these individuals have lost or dumped their ID/paperwork. Tamil Tigers are a terrorist organization and how will the authorities accurately determine if these people are members or not? There is a large Tamil community here that funded (knowingly or unknowingly) terrorist activities overseas. I have seen $40,000 dollars per person

mentioned as the fees these people paid. If that is true how many Canadians could afford that? Where did that kind of money come from? I am fearful that treating this situation lightly will send other boats from other miserable places to our shores. The boat should be seized permanently and the captain jailed the same way. That might send the right message.
Glen, 2010-08-13 00:24:57

Native Canadians? Please until the europeaons settleed this place there was nothing here. Don't forget who settled CANADA and made it into the country it is, it wasn't the natives. So yes we have every right to turn away unwanted immigrants to OUR country. Just cause someone ran around in fields here they have no claim to any land, they lost it, live to love it. Send the Tamil's back home. If they want to come Canada they can follow regular apps like the rest of the people in the world, most of those actually being able to contribute to societ and the economy and not become just another welfare cheque.
Dean, 2010-08-13 00:01:36

Send them back, we need to show the world we are not a soft touch
lee, 2010-08-12 22:48:32

The Canada Gazette says the average refugee claim costs taxpayers $29,000. If we have 500 on board then that will cost Canadians 14.5 million dollars. Tack on social assisance and the cost of this venture is astronomical. We should all be angrily writing our MPs.
pissed, 2010-08-12 22:32:40

If history repeats itself, this will be like the last boatload. 500 people on welfare with food, clothing lawyers, health, medicine housing will cost what? 30K per person? Time that by 500 you get $15,000,000.00 to keep these people. Say average age is 45, so 45 years on welfare will cost Canada $675,000,000.00.
JOE, 2010-08-12 22:16:05

This is a no-brainer. NO ONE should be allowed to enter Canada except through the appropriate immigration channels. We, as taxpayers, do not need or want the cost to us of supporting a group of people that no one knows anything about for the next who knows how many years. If Canadians become known as the country that will except anything that shows up at our ports or airports we will very quickly become a dumping ground for people who can not contribute in any way to the growth of our country. I have worked and paid taxes all of my adult life and believe me, I do not want the 50% of taxes that I have deducted from every paycheque used to support this type freeloading.
Cobie, 2010-08-12 22:03:31

It is irrelevant that they have 'proper ID'. The manner in which they are trying to enter Canada is illegal, and therefore their entry must be denied.

If they do have proper ID, why spend $43,000 on the boat trip, when a flight from Sri Lanka likely costs $5,000?
Tony, 2010-08-12 21:15:02

The ship should be turned back no ifs ands or buts with everyone on it except the captain who should be imprisioned.
William Jones, 2010-08-12 21:10:23

Canada because of agreements Canada has signed on to are not allowed to turn the boat away, no mater what racists would like to see happen. So the question is not valid.

Considering what uplink did, his comment should just be ignored
Mrs-Brigand, 2010-08-12 21:09:04

Send them to Obama.
Dave, 2010-08-12 20:57:36