An RCMP vehicle, front, and a British Columbia Sheriff's vehicle, far left, escort two buses transporting would be migrants through Delta, B.C., after arriving on a ferry from Vancouver Island on Sunday October 18, 2009. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The 76 people who were on board a vessel that Canadian authorities commandeered off the coast of British Columbia have been sent by ferry from Victoria to the province's lower mainland.
The group spent Friday night in a Victoria jail before being loaded onto a bus, bound and wearing prisoner jumpsuits, and transported to a ferry destined for Vancouver.
Officials have not identified the passengers or the reason for their journey, but an investigation is underway.
The group will be held in an unknown corrections facility after arriving in Vancouver. Authorities will then determine whether the suspected migrants can be admitted into the country, said Rob Johnston, a Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson.
"We are acting quickly to meet the immediate personal and health needs of these individuals, and we are processing them in an efficient manner and in accordance with Canadian law," Johnston said.
The RCMP boarded and seized this vessel, of unknown origin, in Canadian waters Saturday. An RCMP emergency response team boarded and seized the vessel near Vancouver Island on Friday. They had been watching the ship approach Canadian waters since Thursday, and towed it to port in Victoria.
There happened to be a huge number of police and military personnel conducting security exercises for the 2010 Olympic Games in the area at the time the ship entered Canadian waters. The RCMP vessels Higgitt and Lindsay, and the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Regina, escorted the Ocean Lady to harbour after it was intercepted.
The ship was seized peacefully, and out of concern the crew on board wasn't capable of steering it to shore, officials said.
It was later searched for anything that could pose a danger to the public. But Defence Minister Peter MacKay told CTV's Question Period on Sunday that nothing of note was found.
When asked if the ship was a smuggling operation, MacKay deferred to Federal Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan, who he said is handling the case. He added that the RCMP is investigating, and the immigration system will eventually "kick in" in the case.
"Until such time as there's a forensic examination of what's aboard the ship, some interviews will have to occur with the ship captain and crew, and that's happening," MacKay said.
Those on board the ship reportedly told authorities they wanted to come to Canada. They appeared to be in good health, and are believed to have been at sea for some time. Photos of the passengers show them wearing civilian clothes.
Officials said they were tipped off about the ship by "security partners" and watched it inch towards British Columbia.
Everyone on board the Ocean Lady was male, officials said. No other information about the group has been released, including their ages or their country of origin.
However, Van Loan said there were preliminary indications that the passengers may be from Sri Lanka.
The Canadian Tamil Congress wrote a letter to the minister on Sunday, urging Ottawa to provide due process and hearings for those who arrived on the vessel.
"As Canadians, it is important to ensure that these newcomers have an opportunity to be heard and assessed as to their suitability to stay in Canada," David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress, said in a news release.
Thousands of ethnic Tamils fled during Sri Lanka's bloody, 25-year civil war that ended earlier this year. The exodus has continued in the wake of the conflict, with Tamils complaining of mistreatment by the Sri Lankan government.
The Congress said that it will try to help people on the Ocean Lady contact any relatives they may have in Canada.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Rob Brown and files from The Canadian Press
The Globe and Mail: In Vancouver, dozens of boat migrants await their fate
CTV News: Passengers, crew of seized ship sent to Vancouver
Canadian Press: Would-be migrants sent to Vancouver on B.C. ferry