A day with the gatekeepers. (Immigration--Introductions).

Front-line immigration officers have the very difficult job of processing the foreigners arriving in Canada. One of them is Cynthia Garcia and she says: "You never know what you are going to get. You can get 200 people that are totally okay. Or, you can get ten people and every single one blows up in your face."

"PK's in." An migration officer shouts above the background noise in the immigration processing area of Toronto's Pearson International Airport. It's late afternoon, and he's alerting his fellow officers that the Pakistan International Airlines flight from Islamabad has landed. There will be people to interview and papers to examine.

Tens of thousands of new Canadians pass through this place every year. Each will deal with one of the six immigration officers on duty.

The passengers are jet-lagged and tired. Some have had a bumpy flight and have been ill. Most are confused and anxious, some are excited. And, they're all mixed together--landed immigrants, vacationers, students, refugees, foreign workers, and the small number of people trying to sneak into Canada illegally.

This is the sharp end of the immigration system. The immigration officers at this desk must try to make sure that no one gets into the country who shouldn't.

A Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong brings an elderly couple. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have Canadian resident status but they hardly ever live here. The immigration officer is not happy. "Do you know that you are required to live in Canada for six months out of every year?" The Lees pretend they don't know this, but the immigration officer's computer screen tells her they've been warned about this twice before. She sends the Lees off to a holding area to cool their heels for a couple of hours.

The next problem is off an Air India flight from Bombay. Elizabeth Walters and her eight-year-old daughter have joined the flight during its refuelling stop in London, England. Almost instantly, the immigration officer senses something is not right. Under very direct questioning, Ms. Walters' story starts to sound phony. She's here for a visit, but she can't say for how long. It's early fall, but she's made no plans for her daughter's schooling. She's vague about her relationship to the man she says is meeting her.

More questions, computer research, and an interview with the man waiting for Ms. Walters and the whole story comes tumbling out accompanied by a flood of tears.

The waiting boyfriend came to Canada earlier, sponsored by his "wife." But, it was a marriage of convenience so he could become a permanent resident. The marriage is in the process of being dissolved. Elizabeth Walters' real purpose was to live permanently in Canada but she didn't want to go through the time-consuming process of applying as an immigrant. The next day she's put on a flight back to England.

Next up, is a traveller from Turkey. She's dazed after the long journey across seven time zones. Her papers are all in order and she's given a warm welcome as a landed immigrant.

It's getting late in the evening and another immigration officer has stopped a passenger from Vietnam. The computer shows he's suspected of having lived illegally in Canada before. And, there's an alert. The police in Melbourne, Australia would like to talk to this man about a robbery they are trying to solve.

Looks like it's going to be another long night on the immigration desk.