— They decline Canadian offer of 120-day permits —
OSOYOOS TIMES (June 21, 2006)
By Julie TurnerrnOsoyoos Times
An attempt to smuggle 10 Koreans into the U.S. at the Osoyoos border was stopped June 12.
An investigation has begun into the human trafficking case, uncovered when a southbound vehicle was stopped at the Osoyoos border facility. As a result of information received from Osoyoos RCMP, the Integrated Border Enforcement Team arrested three British Columbians, although as of Monday, no formal charges had been laid.
A total of 10 Korean nationals “ two men and eight women “ were being smuggled from Canada into the U.S. Six of the individuals were being recruited into the sex trade in the States, RCMP Human Trafficking Awareness Co-ordinator Norm Massie told the Osoyoos Times.
It was clear after speaking at length to the individuals that some had been deceived into thinking they were destined for Los Angeles or New York to work in a restaurant. Others knew they were going to work in a massage parlour. The individuals had also been required to pay between $3,000 and $5,000 each to cover the transportation and job placement expenses, although none had advanced any money, Massie said.
The Koreans told Massie they had been making inquiries about finding a better life in the U.S.
Massie said he offered the Koreans a temporary residence permit upon their return to Canada to allow them to legally stay in the country while officials worked with the Korean government and other agencies to return them to Korea.
Just last month, the federal government introduced guidelines to protect victims of human trafficking in Canada. It offers them permits of residency for up to 120 days. Its purpose is to assist victims to recover from the impact of this crime and protect them from further exploitation. Massie said he believed this incident was the first time the offer had been made to a victim.
The women said they appreciated the temporary residency offer and were thankful they had not entered the U.S. However, they did not feel they were in any danger upon their return to Canada, so they declined.rnIn a May 11 press release, RCMP Chief Superintendent and Director of Border Integrity Mike Cabana stated, Human trafficking often involves organized crime and the RCMP is committed to working with key partners such as Citizenship and Immigration Canada to uncover, report and target traffickers who exploit the most vulnerable of our society.
