A year and a half later, Winnipeg's Eritrean community is pressuring the Canadian government to bring the asylum seekers detained in Malta, southern Europe, to Canada. The Community of Eritrean Canadians in Manitoba, a non-profit group consisting of 60 families, said Malta refuses to recognize them as refugees. If deported, they could face brainwashing and physical torture back home, the group says. "Malta is considering them as illegal immigrants," Ghirmay Yeibio, the organization's president, said of the 105 asylum seekers. "They should be recognized as refugees and shouldn't be jailed as prisoners. Human rights should be protected." The asylum seekers -- 28 of them children -- fled Eritrea due to war, persecution, mandatory conscription and loss of citizenship, said Yeibio. Eritrea is constantly in conflict and disputing borders with neighbouring Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen. "We want a permanent home for these people. If the UN takes over and they are sent to New Zealand, we don't mind," Yeibio said. "But we say come to Canada, because we are Canadians." Yeibio, 45, an ethnic Eritrean who immigrated to Canada three years ago from Ethiopia, said $500,000 would be needed to sponsor them as refugees. Yeibio said he has asked many for help, among them NDP MP Pat Martin. Martin (Winnipeg Centre) wrote back to Yeibio earlier this month and assured him of his full support. "You'd be dead inside to not do something about it," said Martin in a telephone interview. "It is unique to find a cluster of people on a near-biblical trek on foot to find themselves in the West. But they still can't find sanctuary." The refugees would also boost Winnipeg's dwindling population growth, he said. Martin said he circulated a letter to parliamentary ministers and senators, but only six ministers and two senators responded. But Martin said he will attempt to attain 50 parliamentary supporters to convince the minister of immigration to allow the detainees into Canada when Parliament reconvenes next year. The Malta Consulate in Montreal said it will be unlikely the detainees will be given sanctuary. "Malta is a small island. We are overpopulated. A lot of (refugees) just drift into the harbour," said Consul General Milo Vassallo, but added his government won't send them back as long as their lives are in danger. "That is why they are still there. If we wanted to send them back, we would have." A previous group of 223 Eritreans were deported from Malta last year.
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