VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A Thai freighter loaded with almost 500 Sri Lankan Tamils seeking refuge in Canada was escorted Friday to a military base in British Columbia.
Police and border security agents had been on board the MV Sun Sea since Thursday evening, Postmedia News reported. Tugboats moved the vessel to a dock at Canadian Forces Base Esquimault at dawn, and after three months at sea passengers began disembarking.
The passengers' first home in Canada was to be either a hospital in Victoria or one of two prisons for men and women in British Columbia, officials said. Victoria General Hospital has opened a special unit to house those from the vessel who need medical care. The ship's passengers are believed to include women and children.
Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Thursday the passengers include "suspected human smugglers and terrorists." He said Canada welcomes legitimate refugees but not criminals.
"Human-smugglers and human-traffickers are now watching Canada's response to judge whether or not they can continue to take advantage of us," Toews said.
The passengers are believed to be Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka after the crushing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or Tamil Tigers. The group, classified as terrorists by the Canadian government, fought a decades-long civil war with the Sri Lankan government.
