Mr. Speaker, human smuggling is a criminal enterprise that happens around the world. Smugglers are paid to help people enter Canada illegally. This practice is fundamentally unfair to legitimate refugees who are patiently waiting to begin new lives here in Canada.
Yesterday the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism announced legislation to crack down on criminals aiming to profit from Canada's generosity. Human smuggling is a serious criminal offence that puts human lives at risk and benefits only criminal organizations.
With this bill, our government is sending a clear message: we will not tolerate the abuse of our immigration system by human smugglers and we will do everything we can to keep Canadians safe and secure.
Canada will remain compassionate towards immigrants. We have a proud tradition of welcoming refugees, but we must protect our borders, which is exactly what this bill will do.