Turkish man ‘smuggled’ from St-Pierre to N.L. after meeting sailboat owner in bar
A Turkish national embarked on a risky journey from Paris to the islands of St-Pierre-Miquelon with hopes of sneaking into Canada, despite having no concrete plan in place. His luck took a turn when he met a Canadian sailboat owner in a bar who offered to transport him across the 25-kilometre stretch of ocean separating the French archipelago from the south coast of Newfoundland.
The plan, concocted over drinks, did not unfold smoothly for either party, as outlined in a sworn affidavit filed by a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) investigator in provincial court last month. The Turkish man found himself in CBSA custody, with two phones confiscated, while the Canadian sailboat owner had to make a distress call to the Canadian Coast Guard when his boat encountered trouble a few days after bringing the Turkish man to Grand Bank.
After sailing from St-Pierre to Grand Bank, the Turkish man shared with CBSA that he sought refuge in an abandoned house before heading to the Argentia Marine Atlantic terminal with the Canadian on September 11. When they realized the ferry to Nova Scotia was not operating that day, they continued their journey to St. John’s, arriving in the bustling George Street bar district around 9 p.m.
Sometime around September 12, the Turkish man applied for asylum at RNC headquarters, disclosing that he had been “smuggled” into Grand Bank and expressing his willingness to go to any lengths to reach Newfoundland from St-Pierre, even offering to pay any amount of money. However, he maintained that no money exchanged hands and that he and the sailboat owner were friends.
On September 13, CBSA received a call from a concerned worker at a taxi company in Marystown regarding the Turkish man, who had returned to Grand Bank and was looking to travel back to St. John’s before catching a bus to Port-aux-Basques. He was apprehended by CBSA officials later that day, while the boat owner, who failed to report to border authorities upon re-entering Canadian waters, managed to evade detection.
However, on September 15, the Canadian Coast Guard towed the boat to Burgeo after a distress call was issued. The boat owner, a resident of Ontario, is now the subject of an investigation for breaching the immigration act by aiding or abetting someone in entering Canada unlawfully.
Although the reasons behind the Turkish man’s desire to come to Canada remain unclear, it is known that Canadian authorities had previously denied his visa application. Subsequently, he has returned to France. The CBSA is still actively investigating the matter and has seized two cell phones from the Turkish man as part of their inquiries.
Given that no charges have been laid within the three-month timeframe, border services officials sought judicial permission to retain the confiscated phones, as per legal requirements. The ongoing investigation is detailed in documents submitted last month to support this request.
CBSA spokesperson Guillaume Bérubé stated in a written statement that the investigation is ongoing, highlighting the complexities and nuances of border security and immigration enforcement.
