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OTTAWA - The Conservatives are whittling down their legal options to go after rogue boats filled with migrants trying to get to Canada.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews is expected to take a list of choices before cabinet during the week of Sept. 13.
The government has been floating the idea of new laws since the arrival of a boat in August that was packed with Sri Lankan migrants.
The commitment to moving forward comes as the Conservatives attempt to regain control of the national agenda before heading into what could be a combative fall session.
Almost an announcement a day is expected in the two weeks before MPs return to Parliament, and both cabinet members and the rank-and-file are on national and international tours hoping to draw some positive attention to the caucus.
Toews himself is expected to make an announcement on Tuesday about a new partnership to combat human smuggling.
But any new initiatives are unlikely to come fast enough to stop boats already believed to be on their way to Canada.
There are also existing laws which heavily penalize people involved in human smuggling and trafficking, including fines and jail terms so it's unclear how the Tories could proceed further.
Enforcing those laws has proved to be a major challenge.
The RCMP is still investigating the arrival of a ship in 2009 that was carrying 76 Tamil migrants from Sri Lanka.
The ship that arrived last month was carrying close to 500 Tamils.
It's believed that the passengers paid thousands of dollars for passage to Canada and there has been speculation that some on board are members of an outlawed terrorist group.
A spokesperson for Toews wouldn't discuss which legislative options are being considered.
"Our Government will not sit back while Canada becomes a target for increasingly sophisticated criminal operations that are trying to take advantage of Canada's generosity," said Christopher McCluskey in an e-mail.
"We will toughen our laws to ensure that we are able to maintain our borders and defeat human smuggling."
The NDP's public safety critic said the government's focus on the issue is misguided without proof it actually is a case of human smuggling.
"If you really believe in being serious about Canada's obligations to take in refugees, this is what it looks like," said Don Davies.
"Don't run around making allegations of human smuggling and terrorists before there is any evidence of that."
Davies said what is being framed as a public safety issue is really a discussion about immigration policy and how Canada reaches out to refugees.
"If we don't want that system where people just try to make their way to Canada out of desperation, then maybe we should be stepping up our efforts in refugee camps," he said.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is currently on a tour of India, China and the Philippines to encourage greater co-operation on immigration issues. He spent the weekend in France meeting with European immigration officials.
