It appears that the inability to deport Laibar has taken a toll on CBSA enforcement officers:
As first reported in The Globe and Mail this week, Mr. Moran has expressed concerns about the suggestion that the case of Mr. Singh has gone on too long, frustrating B.C.-based members of his union.
A confidential assessment of the situation, prepared for Mr. Moran by a B.C. employee of the agency's removals unit, said most officers feel "not removing Mr. Singh makes us look impotent."
The author of the assessment says officers are "very frustrated about how the case is being handled, and how it makes us look."
It appears that CBSA enforcement have been advised that the removal of Laibar Singh is a question of when, not if.
**** Update *****
The Vancouver Sun has published an article detailing the costs incurred by the Canadian government - or more appropriately, by Canadian taxpayers by the ongoing Laibar Singh saga.
In essence:
...
In response to an Access to Information request from The Sun, the Canada Border Services Agency provided a breakdown of the $62,947 it has spent so far on the Singh case:
- Three payments to Fox Flight Air Ambulance for flights that never went ahead: $6,900 for the first, $7,300 for the second and $29,900 for the third.
- $1,800 in officer overtime and $1,100 for officer travel.
- $1,147 for an independent medical assessment of Singh.
- $1,600 in detention costs (Singh was briefly detained last August), plus $13,100 for Singh's medical costs while detained.
...
In addition to the money the CBSA has spent trying to remove Singh, he's also cost the province's health care system close to half a million dollars.
According to the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Singh's care at the Vancouver General Hospital spinal unit cost $408,000, while his care at George Pearson cost $71,000.
Fraser Health has said its care of Singh cost it $12,900 -- bringing the government's total tab for Singh's medical care to $491,900.
Gill said that the Abbotsford temple where Singh was staying has just paid off the $12,900 bill as it earlier pledged to do.
Also - News 1130 reports of an extension granted until March 10, 2008.
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