Canadian officials still mum on how they will respond to incoming voyagers
A closed ward at Victoria General Hospital is being prepared for dozens of Tamils on a migrant ship heading toward the B.C. coast who are believed to have contracted tuberculosis during the voyage. An estimated 300 to 500 Tamils are believed to be on board the cargo ship, which has been at sea since last April, but sources told the Toronto Star it is unclear how many of the migrants on board the MV Sun Sea are sick with TB. The MV Sun Sea is a Thai-registered cargo ship and was turned away earlier from Thailand and Australia. All of the migrants, who officials are expecting to make refugee claims, will undergo a rigorous health examination in an isolated area as they disembark. Canadian officials are revealing little detail of how they plan to respond to the incoming voyagers, including what agencies or officials had been dispatched to intercept, board and begin the likely months-long investigation into who exactly is on the ship.