Taipei, March 17 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Wednesday it plans to lodge a strong protest with Canadian authorities against a reported case of mistreatment of a female Taiwanese traveler by Canadian immigration officials.
According to local media reports Wednesday, Lee Chung-hua, 50, was denied entry at Vancouver International Airport March 10 and questioned by Canadian immigration officials about why she was traveling to Canada on an one-way ticket and an expired visa, and was carrying more than a dozen underwear items in her luggage.
"We will file an official protest with the Canadian government once the facts of this case have been confirmed, " said Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang. "The MOFA will fulfill its responsibility of protecting our nationals." The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT), the official Canadian authority in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties, said that Canada's Privacy Act prohibits sharing an individual's personal information with third parties. "Canada welcomes millions of visitors from around the globe each year. Over 275,000 Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) were issued to Taiwanese from 2005 through 2009. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the entry process is very smooth, " the CTOT said.
According to media reports, Lee was traveling alone to Canada and had planned to stay 15 days. Upon arrival, she was told by immigration officials that her visa had expired and she would be deported, the reports stated.
She was asked to sign a document, agreeing to voluntarily leave Canada or else face detention for two-three days pending further proceedings, it was reported.
Citing Article 42 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Canadian officials asked Lee to leave the country, the report said. They prohibited her from contacting her family in Vancouver and confiscated her mobile phones, notebooks and personal belongings, Lee was quoted as saying.
The MOFA has contacted Lee and notified the Taiwan representative offices in Ottawa and Vancouver about the case, MOFA spokesman Henry Chen said. Taiwan's representatives in Canada have also contacted the Canadian foreign ministry and immigration to express concern over the matter and to request an investigation into the case, he added.
He urged Taiwan nationals to call the toll-free international phone number 800-0885-0885 in case of emergency during travel abroad. Relatives of Taiwan citizens who are on overseas trips can also call the domestic toll-free number 0800-085-095 for assistance, he said. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc