According to The Associated Press, two U.S. military deserters, Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey, were denied political asylum in Canada and have asked for a court review, arguing authorities rejected them without considering the legality of the Iraq war.
Defense lawyer Jeffrey House asked a federal court to order Canada 's Immigration and Refugee Board to rehear the cases of Hinzman and Hughey. Hinzman, 26, fled to Canada in search of asylum just days before his U.S. Army unit was to deploy to Iraq to fight in a war he says is illegal under international law. He is facing a court-martial in the United States and up to five years in prison. Hughey, 20, who was with the 1st Cavalry in Fort Hood , Texas , is also seeking a review of his case. He was denied refugee status in September. About 20 Americans have fled the military and applied for refugee status in Canada , according to House. The board's decision in March dealt a blow to other deserters in Canada who argue that serving in Iraq would force them to commit crimes against civilians.

*****

Italian police have uncovered an operation, “Operation Pyramid”, that directed Chinese undocumented immigrants from Malta to the Italian mainland. According to The Malta Independent, Operation Pyramid included 10 teams from the crime prevention units and 10 mobile squads from Rome , Aquila , Teramo, Chieti and Ancona . Eighteen Chinese and 11 Italians were arrested. The investigations found that the undocumented immigrants used a ‘parallel bureaucratic channel’ to issue them with false residence and work permits and allowed their relatives to join them. This was supported by a fictitious network of restaurants, clothes shops, which supposedly employed them. Once the permits were issued, they were destroyed so that the undocumented immigrants could never be traced again. The cost of a work permit renewal was e7,000 and to have three relatives join them cost e18,000.