BORDER UPDATE - CANADIAN IMMIGRATION DIGS OUT OLD

UNCLAS MONTREAL 000204 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAN AND PRM E.0. 12958:N/A TAGS: SMIG PREF KPAO PBTS KISL PGOV PREL CVIS CA CIC SUBJECT: BORDER UPDATE - CANADIAN IMMIGRATION DIGS OUT OLD REGULATION FROM THE MOTHBALLS REF: SECSTATE MONTREAL 0004 ¶1. SUMMARY: A LONG-STANDING CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA (CIC) PRACTICE HAS CHANGED. ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO PREVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE BEEN ADMITTED IMMEDIATELY INTO CANADA ARE NOW TURNED OVER TO USINS UNTIL A CIC APPOINTMENT IS SCHEDULED. END SUMMARY. ¶2. STARTING IN LATE 2002, LARGE NUMBERS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS -- FORTY A DAY NON-STOP FOR A MONTH AT THE LACOLLE/CHAMPLAIN (N.Y.) BORDER ALONE-- APPLIED FOR REFUGEE STATUS. CIC WAS FORCED TO DOUBLE, SOMETIMES TRIPLE STAFF TO HANDLE THE LOAD OF INTERVIEWS. HOWEVER, ONE OF POST'S CIC CONTACTS AT LACOLLE REPORTED THAT CIC HEADQUARTERS NOTIFIED BORDER AGENTS ON JANUARY 30, 2003, TO DIRECT THEM TO APPLY THE OLD BUT RARELY UTILIZED "DIRECT BACK" REGULATION TO BETTER CONTROL THE FLOW OF REFUGEE CLAIMS. NOW, INSTEAD OF INTERVIEWING REFUGEE SEEKERS ON THE SPOT, CIC OFFICIALS GIVE REFUGEE SEEKERS AN APPOINTMENT FOR A LATER INTERVIEW AND, IN THE INTERIM, RETURN REFUGEE SEEKERS TO USINS. ¶3. THE RECENT PROCEDURAL CHANGE REPORTEDLY HAS SLIGHTLY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF CLAIMANTS WALKING UP TO THE BORDER, BUT A GOOD NUMBER STILL APPEAR DAILY. FOR EXAMPLE, ON FEB 12, AT 07:45AM, EIGHTEEN PAKISTANI CITIZENS ASKED TO FILE FOR REFUGEE STATUS AT LACOLLE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE GROUP WAS TURNED BACK TO USINS AND LATER DIRECTED TO SEEK ASSISTANCE AT THE PLATTSBURGH SALVATION ARMY (SA). ALLEN