TORONTO, Feb 5: Approximately 580 refugees, most of them Pakistanis, have arrived in Canada from America in the last 35 days, a senior government official told Dawn on Tuesday.

As Feb 21, the INS registration deadline, draws nearer more Pakistanis are expected to arrive in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver — cities close to the US border.

A spokesman for the office of Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Denis Coderre, told Dawn that 584 people had reached Canada between Jan 1, 2003 to Feb 4 and are asking for refugee status.

“It’s difficult for me to give details of their countries of origin but I can say this much that most of these refugees are Pakistanis,” he said.

Asked as to why the new Canadian-American border agreement had not yet been implemented, he said he could not give any reason or say when laws concerning the deal would be enforced.

The border agreement called “Third Safe Country Treaty” was signed by Canada and the US late last year to put restrictions on refugees entering in each other’s country. When implemented, the agreement will allow Canada to refuse entry to those coming here from America to seek refugee status. Likewise, America can return refugees going from Canada to the United States.

Meanwhile, Ottawa has asked all landed immigrants living across Canada to apply for Permanent Resident (PR) card. An official announcement said that after Dec 31, 2003, the landed immigrants will need a PR card while returning to Canada from tours abroad. Canadian citizens do not need this card.

The announcement further said that permanent residents (landed immigrants) returning to Canada would be required to present PR cards while boarding a plane, boat, bus or train.