The Conservative government is working on legislation and program changes that target human smuggling following last month’s arrival of the MV Sun Sea off the B.C. coast.

According to a report in National Post, the two ministers had sent a letter to the Prime Minister outlining what they were doing but officials said Mr. Harper told them he wants more done. Federal officials met last week to discuss the problem.

“I don’t know how much I’m at liberty to say to you,” Mr. Toews told the National Post in an interview last week, a day after the meeting, when asked whether the government was working on a new policy.

“The focus, I think, needs to be that we are not here to stop legitimate refugee claimants, but we do not want to see refugees become the victim of human traffickers. And so I think there’s a number of legislative and programming initiatives that you will see our government undertake in due course.”

Asked when they would be rolled out, he said: “Sooner rather than later. I can tell you that the Prime Minister is very concerned that I deal with this issue, and I will try not to disappoint not only the Prime Minister, but the people of Canada.”

Mr. Toews was scheduled to make an announcement in Winnipeg this morning about the crime of human trafficking, defined as recruiting and transporting persons in order to exploit them for financial gain.

Last night, media reports said another migrant ship was on its way to Canada. Neither the departments of Public Safety nor Foreign Affairs and International Trade would confirm the report. The Canadian Tamil Congress said it had heard the rumours throughout the weekend, but had no information about such a ship.

In Paris yesterday, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Parliament needs to consider minimum jail sentences for people-smugglers, after a meeting on illegal migration issues with ministers from France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece and Belgium. “Some media have pointed out that while there are very stiff maximum penalties for facilitating people smuggling in our criminal law, up to life imprisonment, there are no minimum penalties,” Mr. Kenney told Postmedia News when asked about possible legislation when Parliament resumes on Sept. 20.

“So I think the government and Parliament need to look at ways that we can send clear messages about how to dis-incentivize those who exploit desperate migrants.”

After sailing from Thailand, the Sun Sea entered Canadian waters off Vancouver Island on Aug. 12 and was boarded by the RCMP.
The 492 people on board are apparently all ethnic Tamils from Sri Lanka and have asked for refugee status.

Except for about 50 children, all are being held in B.C.’s Lower Mainland while the Canada Border Services Agency, along with the RCMP and CSIS, try to determine their identities and whether any are human smugglers or former Tamil Tigers rebels.

The Public Safety Minister said the objective of the new policies was to stop the ships before they set sail for Canada, which he said would require greater co-operation and intelligence sharing between Ottawa and Southeast Asian governments.

“What this points to is the absolute need for co-operation between a broader group of allies,” the Minister said. “In the Sun Sea … individuals are flying from the country that they’re coming from, landing in Thailand and then people are massing there and getting onto a renovated boat that was capable of coming to Canada.

“So this was a well thought out, very deliberate process, the ultimate goal was very clear. And so how do we address that? I think there’s a number of steps along the way but the co-operation with our allies in Southeast Asia, not even our traditional allies such as Australia or New Zealand or the United States, but other allies as to how we can work with them.”