official protest to Canadian government By Raymond Hainey Bermuda is drawing up a dossier of immigration insults to Bermudians in Canada to present to the country's government, it was revealed yesterday.

But Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox said she would not lodge a formal complaint until she had amassed the evidence.

She explained: "There is another incident outstanding and I'm trying to get details of that.'' Ms Cox was speaking after Bermuda mother Raymanda Davis, who was rushing her sick three-week-old son to a Canadian hospital, and her mother Carolyn were detained at Toronto's Pearson airport.

The two frantic women were grilled for hours by Canadian immigration officials because the baby's paperwork was not in order -- leading to a protest after they returned to Bermuda.

And they also blasted the Island's Immigration Department for being unhelpful and for the lack of advice given to them on what they needed to travel.

Ms Cox pledged to take the matter up with the Canadian government and lodge an official protest.

But Ms Cox said: "I would rather gather all the facts instead of just sending piecemeal information.'' Carolyn Davis said yesterday: "Our problem was with both the Bermudian and Canadian immigration departments.

"But I'm glad this is being brought to the attention of the Canadians -- that would definitely be the route we would want to take.

"Our whole purpose in speaking out was to try and make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.'' Ms Cox declined to release details of the other incident involving a Bermudian who fell afoul of Canadian immigration.

But she said: "It was a very similar type of incident, although it did not involve a medical matter.'' Ms Cox raised concerns over the treatment of some Bermudians attempting to enter Canada with New York-based representative Paul Roue, who also covers Bermuda, at a meeting earlier this year -- before Ms Davis and ill baby Yanai hit problems in July.

She said: "When I met the Canadian Consul, he certainly noted the point and was sympathetic.

"This is really to remind him that we have not seen much improvement since then.'' Ms Cox added that the weak Canadian dollar made the country attractive to Bermudians -- especially for further education -- which was likely to boost travel between the two countries.

And she said: "I think we want to try and narrow down the points of potential conflict.'' Ms Davis and her mother hit out at both the Bermudian and Canadian authorities after the incident.

Cox to take on Canadians Carolyn Davis said they had been wrongly advised on what was needed to travel with Yanai -- who was suffering from a mystery illness and needed urgent tests -- before leaving Bermuda.

And she said attempts to get a personal passport for Yanai had been hampered by "rude and very unhelpful'' staff at Bermuda's Immigration Department.

Immigration chiefs later said Carolyn Davis had turned up for an emergency passport on their day of departure without the necessary photographs.

But she said the paperwork details had been handled between hospital social workers and the Immigration Department and she had provided everything she was told to get.

And she insisted social workers had also told her that -- because of the circumstances -- Yanai did not need a passport or a letter of consent from the father before travelling.