All 76 Tamil migrants who were caught aboard the Ocean Lady last weekend intend on applying for refugee status -- but authorites say the Sri Lankans will be held until they can find out whether have connections to terrororist or criminal organizations.
The migrants currently remain in custody at Metro Vancouver's Fraser Regional Corrections Centre awaiting detention reviews before the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board.
Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says he wants all of them held until all of their identities are known.
"We are taking the position in front of the[Immigration and Refugee Board] that these individuals be detained," Kenney said. "We need to know their identity."
A Canadian newspaper believes it has identified one of the migrants. They have published his name, and reported that he is wanted as a possible terrorist by the Sri Lankan authorities.
"If there is any indication that individuals are connected to criminal or terrorist organizations, they would be inadmissible to Canada," Kenney said.
But Roy Ratnavel, Vancouver representative for the Canadian Tamil Congress, says publishing any of the migrants' names puts them and their families back home in peril.
"It is totally irresponsible," Ratnavel said. "This man's life could be in danger."
Ratnavel speaks from experience -- at 16 he was jailed for three months in the Sri Lankan prison known as the "meat shop."
"We all had internal bleeding. We'd throw up blood," he said.
He fled to Canada in 1988. Two days after his arrival, his father was murdered.
He believes the Sri Lankan government will tell Canada all the migrants have links to the Tamil Tigers.
"They beat you every day. And torture you until you signed a piece of paper saying 'I am a Tamil Tiger.'"
For now, Ratnavel has faith Canada's immigration process will be speedy and fair -- but he's calling on the government to consider carefully whether claims made by the Sri Lankan regime should be trusted.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger
