Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said yesterday he was briefly suspected by Canadian authorities of being an illegal immigrant, during an unexpected late-night stopover on a flight back from Washington.
Mr Kwasniewski said a snowstorm forced his plane to divert from Gander, Newfoundland, to nearby St John's, as he returned from a visit during which he asked President George Bush to relax visa requirements for Polish citizens.
"We saw what it feels like when an unexpected guest arrives - who in the beginning is treated as a potential illegal immigrant. That is how we were treated," he told a news conference.
A Canadian foreign ministry spokeswoman said that because the plane had landed late in the evening, the passengers were taken to a transit area to see whether they wanted temporary visas. "At no time were they detained ... at no time was President Kwasniewski suspected of being an illegal alien."
more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1133975,00.html