Human smuggling bust yields first use of new law
OTTAWA – The Opposition accused the Conservative government Wednesday of turning a grave bordersecurity problem into a showcase for its tough new refugee laws.
The criticism came after the government announced that it was in the midst of rounding up 85 migrants who crossed into Canada illegally on five occasions with the help of human smugglers. The smuggling took place between February and October.
The migrants, said to be from the same village in Romania, began their journey in Mexico, as that country has no visa requirements for Romanians, Kenney said.
It’s believed they sneaked across the U.S. border carrying fake documents, obtained cars and headed north to Canada, crossing through the unmanned post in Stanstead, Que.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney travelled to the Quebec border crossing in question to reveal that the migrants had, for the first time since the new Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act was adopted in June, been designated as “irregular arrivals.”
The designation means any smugglers among them could face mandatory minimum sentences and increased fines if convicted. Under the new laws, migrants over the age of 16 could also face detention while authorities establish their identities and ensure they aren’t inadmissible on criminal or other grounds.
Should any of them be denied asylum, the new provisions would make it easier to deport them. Irregular arrivals who obtain refugee status also face a conditional permanent residency for five years and are barred from sponsoring family members for five years.
“With today’s designation, our government is sending a strong message that we will take decisive action against those who would profit illegally from criminally exploiting and violating our immigration system,” Kenney said during a news conference at the border crossing in Stanstead, Que., about 160 kilometres southeast of Montreal.
“We’re also sending a strong message to those who are thinking of using the services of criminal human smugglers to sneak their way into Canada. Don’t do it. Don’t even try.”
The NDP’s deputy public safety critic argued the real issue is the fact that Stanstead is an unmanned border crossing. While visiting the region to get a sense of the problem first-hand is a “step in the right direction,” Rosane Dore Lefebvre said it’s really a public safety issue and said budget cuts at the Canada Border Services Agency aren’t helping.
“In no way are measures like this going to resolve the problems with the Stanstead border.” NDP MP ROSANE DORE LEFEBVRE
“What they announced is that people who crossed the border illegally will not be able to sponsor their relatives for five years. In no way are measures like this going to resolve the problems with the Stanstead border. Stanstead remains a border crossing that’s been declared an unmanned border crossing,” she said.
“What worries us is the fact they’re not resolving this problem. They’re continuing to cut front-line border services — $142 million in the last budget. It’s not just people who cross. We’re now discovering there’s human trafficking but it also means there’s likely a problem with drugs, weapons. All that can come through this crossing.”
According to the Canadian Border Services Agency, a new security barrier was installed last month at the Stanstead crossing to prevent people from driving the wrong way down the highway to get into Canada without having to report to authorities.