Canada plans tough action against human smugglers
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Canada vowed on Thursday to crack down on human smuggling from Asia in the wake of the arrival of two boats full of Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka, saying it expects more migrants to attempt the ocean journey. The government denied it was backing away from its international treaty obligations to provide refuge to people fleeing persecution, but it said human smuggling rings were profiting from Canada's tradition of hospitality.
It outlined new legislation that includes tougher sentences for convicted smugglers and sets up new legal hurdles for migrants who use smuggling networks to reach Canada, even if their claims to be fleeing political persecution are deemed legitimate. "Are these measures tough? Yes. In order to make the smugglers and fraudsters think twice they have to be," Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told reporters. (Reuters)
