Dharm Makwana

More than 200 migrants aboard cargo ship MV Sun Sea apparently bound for B.C. are entitled to due process of their refugee claims, said a Toronto-based lawyer.

Gary Anandasangaree, who was in Vancouver last October to provide legal counsel to 76 Tamil men aboard the MV Ocean Lady, said Canadians should ask why these people have taken such an "extraordinary risk" in crossing the Pacific Ocean.

"The danger that we face here is that there's significant generalization as to who and what they are," he said. "First and foremost, we have to look at these people as individuals.

"Depending on the number of people, each would have a specific and unique experience that would either qualify them or disqualify them as a refugee claimant.

"That kind of one-on-one determination is way important to ensure that everyone has due process and is treated fairly."

Many aboard the ship are alleged members of the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, according to Sri Lankan newspaper Sunday Observer.

MV Sun Sea could arrive off the coast of B.C. by the first week of August, the report added.

Both Canadian and American border agencies are aware of the ship but remain tight-lipped over the situation.

The 76 men aboard the MV Ocean Lady have been released from custody, and are going through the refugee application process.