Man – O - man if there is one thing that really gets up my wick it's queue jumpers, and the worst of them are those ones that jump the immigration queue. I mean, Canada is a huge country with loads of space and opportunity, but we have laws and some of those laws clearly say what you are supposed to do if you want to immigrate here. Every year there is another batch of queue jumpers that decide that they simply don’t want to go through the process and inconvenience and want to slip into the head of the queue. What does that say for their willingness to obey the other laws that make up the structure and framework of this country? I rather expect that if it isn’t convenient to them they will ignore them as well.

Yesterday there was a yacht in trouble off the southeast coast of Nova Scotia. It had rolled over a couple of times in a winter storm and were looking for help. A passing German steamship picked up three of the “crew” and the SARTECs aboard one of the Search and Rescue Cormorant helicopters picked up three more, one of whom died on the way to hospital leaving three more unaccounted for adrift in the ocean. Initially we were all very sympathetic and concerned and then we find out that it was a case of human smuggling and immigration queue jumpers and a lot of us have lost much of the sympathy that we originally had. Two of the three that were picked up by the helicopter have applied for refugee status. Refugee! International law states that you get to be a refugee in the first country that you arrive at in which you are not at risk for your life. To the best of my knowledge there have been very few Americans applying for refugee status and they are our only neighbour. Most of these folk come from places like Eastern Europe and have passed through many countries where they were not at risk before they climbed on the boat to come over here. What they are really looking for is the lifestyle the social structure, health and UI benefits and what all that Canada makes available. They aren’t refugees and should be put on the next available means of transport back to their point of departure and let that government deal with ‘em. Many European countries tacitly support these enterprises as a means of getting rid of unwanted ethnic surplus populations.

Of course it is tragic that possibly four people have died as a result of this episode, but they should never have been there in the first place. The people that I really think should be set adrift in the middle of the Atlantic in a cloud of chum are the lowlifes that make money from these people beginning with the “immigration consultants” that advise these folks right through to the people that own and or crew these boats that try to bring these people over here. They should ALL be prosecuted to the maximum extent. Of course there is probably a line up of folks ready to say, “Poor dears. They are only looking for a better life. Let’s forget the rules for this time.” Crap! Next time I don’t feel like paying taxes is anyone going to forget the rules for me? I don’t think so.

Here endith the rant.