The 76 migrants who entered Canadian waters aboard a rusting vessel are true asylum seekers, their government-appointed lawyer said Wednesday.

"They are classic refugees," said Daniel McLeod. "They are fearing persecution on the basis of their ethnicity in Sri Lanka, and their age.

McLeod said some of them are thin, but seem healthy and have no obvious medical conditions. He said they are relieved to be away from Sri Lanka, which is still very dangerous.

Speaking at a forum on migration at UBC's Institute for Global Issues, McLeod said that the young Tamils he has spoken to so far fear for their lives if they are forced back.

"Some of them are students, some are farmers, some are clerks, office workers," he said. "They were all very scared. They're all wondering what's going to happen to them."

Most come from the northeast of Sri Lanka, where the fiercest fighting occurred in a 30-year civil war, which ended this year with the government defeat of the liberation Tamil Tigers.

McLeod cautioned against making links between the men and the Tamil Tigers.

Many young men were forced to work for rebel groups, he said. The government would brand these reluctant workers as Tiger sympathizers.

"It is common for people who have been forced to work as labourers for the Tigers, to be rounded up, arrested by the army, police, or the special task force -- which is a police commando force -- and simply disappear," McLeod said.

Experts in refugee law said identifying these migrants accurately is a heavy responsibility.

"CSIS officers are no doubt working to verify that information with evidence they collect," said Benjamin Perrin, a UBC instructor in refugee law. "And it is one of the challenges here. A post- conflict scenario creates a real opportunity for terrorists, war criminals and former combatants to simply blend in with civilians."

The migrants have applied for refugee status. They are being detained at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre.

Many are still awaiting detention hearings.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger.