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Grenada: Economic progress in fiscal reforms and prudent macroeconomic management have boosted annual growth to 5%–6% in 1998–99; the increase in economic activity has been led by construction and trade. The islands are of volcanic origin with extremely rich soil. (Wikipedia)

Court rejects health care for illegal immigrant
By The Canadian Press
Sun, Jul 10 – 4:54 AM

TORONTO — The Federal Court of Appeal has rejected an illegal immigrant’s bid to have her medical treatments covered under Canada’s health-care system, saying it could undermine immigration laws and turn the country into a “health-care safe haven.”

The three-judge panel ruled against Nell Toussaint, a Grenadan citizen who came to Canada as a visitor in 1999 and settled in Toronto.


Toussaint’s health began to deteriorate in 2006 and over the years, she suffered from a number of conditions, including uterine fibroids, blood clots, tumours and hypertension.


Unable to pay her medical bills, Toussaint applied to become a permanent resident in 2008 so she could be covered under Ontario’s health insurance program. She also applied for a temporary residence permit.

But she didn’t pay the application fees and as a result, neither request was considered.

She later sought medical coverage from the federal government under a 1957 Order in Council that provides emergency care for people making their way through the immigration system.

When the government refused, she brought the matter to federal court, arguing the decision violated her rights to life and security of the person under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court dismissed her case.

A second appeal was shot down in a decision released Friday.

Justice David Stratas wrote in the decision Toussaint was not entitled to federal health coverage because she wasn’t involved in the immigration process.


The Order in Council, he wrote, “could not have been intended to pay the medical expenses of those who arrive as visitors but remain illegally in Canada and who, after the better part of a decade of living illegally in Canada, suddenly choose to try to regularize their immigration status.”

Stratas argued granting Toussaint health-care coverage would set a precedent that could encourage others to travel to Canada illegally in search of free medical treatment.

“Canada could become a health-care safe haven, its immigration laws undermined,” he wrote.

(…)

If her application is accepted, she may become eligible for health coverage in Ontario.

Javan Dowling

Killer convicted second time for severed-head murder
By NEAL HALL, VANCOUVER SUN July 11, 2011

VANCOUVER — A man who was in Canada illegally when he committed a murder in 2001 was convicted a second time today after winning a new trial.

Mihaly (Mike) Illes was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his drug dealing partner, Javan Dowling, 27, twice in the back of the head.

Illes severed the head from the body and buried the body parts in separate locations in Squamish.

Tamil boat potentially bound for Canada held in Indonesia
Postmedia News Jul 12, 2011 – 2:40 PM ET | Last Updated: Jul 12, 2011 2:50 PM ET
By Althia Raj

OTTAWA — Indonesian authorities have stopped a Tamil boat that was headed for Canada, Postmedia News has learned.


The boat, MV Alicia, was carrying 84 Sri Lankan asylum seekers when it was stopped Saturday night in Indonesian waters.


Although the migrants claim to want to enter New Zealand and Tuesday were refusing to leave the MV Alicia waving signs that said they wanted to be sent to a small picturesque island nation, Canadian officials told Postmedia News that police intelligence reports suggest the boat was actually headed to Canada.

“We don’t know that for sure, and we probably won’t know that until Indonesian officials start interviewing people one by one … but all evidence indicates they were headed here,” officials said.

Authorities expect more Tamil boats will try to make the long and dangerous voyage in an attempt to reach Canada’s shores.


One official referred to the MV Alicia as the beginning of “boating season.”

At least 50 suspected war criminals in GTA 27
Terry Davidson, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 9:43:03 EDT PM

At least 50 suspected war criminals are hiding out in the GTA, but Canadian border officials won’t identify them.

Canada Border Services Agency officials were quick to cite federal privacy laws when asked for specifics around the 50 war criminals, who are in the country illegally.

They’re being hunted by the CBSA as part of a massive sweep to net thousands of illegal immigrants in the GTA.

CBSA spokesman Vanessa Barrasa said she was unable to provide information about the fugitives “unless they’ve had public hearings, or their information is in a public domain.”

Barrassa noted Canada’s privacy act states that “personal information under the control of a government institution shall not, without the consent of the individual… be used by the institution” for anything other than the purpose of its operations.

But not knowing details about the suspected criminals and their alleged war crimes has left people in the GTA vulnerable to shady and elusive miscreants, said a long-time victims’ advocate.

(…)

Plus, Newark said, more needs to be done about knowing the backgrounds of shady characters before their feet touch Canadian soil.

(…)

Auditor General Sheila Fraser blasted the CBSA in 2008 for failing to monitor its detention and removal decisions properly.