OK, it was a clever trick, disguising yourself as a grumpy but harmless old guy, slipping through security and smuggling yourself to Vancouver.
No one notices grumpy harmless old guys — to that I can testify — and nobody noticed the 20-something who managed to sneak on Air Canada Flight AC018 last week with fake or borrowed papers and a fake face.
Somehow, he managed to fool billion-dollar airport security in Hong Kong. Let’s pause for a moment and admire the guy’s ingenuity.
Then, let’s give our heads a shake and send him home.
The annual quota of tricksters has already been exceeded by the Tamils, who turned up on the beach in September and are now going through due process as guests of the Canadian taxpayer, that is, you and me.
I don’t want to sound like a grumpy old man, but when did playing fair and by the rules go out of fashion? The guy has applied for asylum, and I assume at some point we will get his side of the story, but he’s already got a lawyer.
That was fast.
And his lawyer is already trotting out the excuses, blaming “human smugglers.” Human smugglers, we all agree, are bad people, but like drug dealers they prey on human weakness; in this case, a weakness for Canadian soil and a lack of patience when it comes to going through the hoops of legitimate immigration.
It is relatively easy to come to Canada — but not easy enough for some people to wait their turn. I have to admit, I don’t have a lot of time for people who cut in line, whether it’s at the border or Starbucks.
So how hard would it have been to march the guy down the hall to the next flight to Hong Kong, put him on the plane and even give him a free bag of peanuts and a movie?
Impossible, apparently. So now we have another guest, like it or not. And he could be here for years as his refugee claim is processed, taking up the time and resources meant for people who wait patiently at the front door.
Last week, I talked to a group of new Canadians at an English class, people from dozens of countries who went through the hoops and are working hard to make their way. It would be tragic if even one of them was unable to realize the dream of coming to Canada because of one guy’s reluctance to wait his turn.
Really.
