More than 450 asylum seekers -- including 350 men, 50 women and 50 children -- aboard the MV Sun Sea, which was escorted by the Canadian navy to Esquimalt Harbour Friday, have been fingerprinted, photographed and provided with medical care.
There were no indications of any communicable diseases on board, officials said, and no weapons were found.
Canadian officials who boarded the ship said the vessel was in good shape, with separate sleeping quarters for men and women and a waste-disposal system set up.
"There were hammocks hanging in the vessel," Canada Border Services Agency spokesman Rob Johnston said during a briefing Saturday at CFB Esquimalt.
"There was a food area. There were bags of rice, dried fish, water, juice containers. There was tarping done on the rear of the vessel, which extended [sleeping capacity.]
"The passengers looked fed, had adequate water and appeared to be in good spirits, but due to the sheer number of people on board, they endured very, very cramped conditions," said Johnston.
The Thai-registered MV Sun Sea, formerly known as the Harin Panich 19, was previously spotted in Thailand in the spring, according to media reports.
Its voyage across the Pacific with its human cargo had been tracked by the Canadian government since June.
Health authorities had set up a mini-clinic dockside to prepare for the "humanitarian emergency," said Vancouver Island Health Authority chief medical officer Dr. Richard Crow.
The migrants were assessed onboard by health officials. Twenty-seven passengers -- including two pregnant women and at least five children -- were transported to Victoria General Hospital for noncritical conditions such as nausea, vomiting and moderate dehydration.
Another six -- four adults and two children -- remained in hospital Saturday but were expected to be released shortly.
On Saturday, buses ferried some of the Sri Lankan would-be refugees from Vancouver Island to Maple Ridge's Fraser Regional Corrections Cente and Alouette Correctional Centre for Women.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development took custody of women and children late Friday and has housed them in a "safe and secure location" in the Lower Mainland.
They will be kept together through the refugee review process and given access to support services, including language interpreters, said ministry spokeswoman Christine Ash.
The passengers onboard are expected to seek refugee status under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Detainees are entitled to a hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board within 48 hours, and hearings are expected to start Monday.
RCMP spokeswoman Insp. Tracey Rook said forensic experts are examining the vessel as part of an ongoing investigation.
"We are currently collecting evidence to determine if any Criminal Code offences, including human smuggling, occurred," said Rook.
Investigators will be conducting criminal and security checks on passengers, and will also be trying to distinguish between passengers and crew members.
Canadian Tamil Congress spokesman Gary Anandasangaree said he was gratified to hear about the migrants' condition, but remains concerned about their well-being.
"They've put the physical health aspect to rest, but the continued worries now are their mental wellbeing and, of course, the processing of these passengers."
Anandasangaree said his group has been asking for access to the migrants and expects it will be granted in the next 24 to 48 hours.
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