Human smuggling operation busted

1 February 2012 02:35 am

OTTAWA: In a human smuggling operation gone sour, around 200 Sri Lankan refugee claimants hoping to come to Canada are stranded in West Africa.
 
The BBC is reporting that 200 Sri Lankans left their country and travelled through India and Ethiopia before a smuggler abandoned them in Togo instead of taking them on to Ghana and then Canada.
 

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews speaks to reporters at Parliament Hill in Ottawa Jan 30, 2012.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says he's aware of the reports but could not confirm them.
 
"I'm not going to get into any operation details but I can assure you that our agencies work closely with governments around the world in order to stop criminal activities with respect to human smuggling," he said.
 
There are reports that Canadian and United Nations officials have told the refugee claimants they'd be better off being deported to Sri Lanka than being held in an open stadium in Lome, the capital of Togo.
 
Toews used the reports to highlight the Conservative government's legislation to combat human smuggling, currently at second reading in the House of Commons. (Source: Toronto Sun)