Canada's Public Safety Minister is getting a lot of positive feedback to legislation that will prevent human smugglers from abusing Canada's immigration system.

Vic Toews says most Canadians understand it is not aimed at legitimate immigrants and refugees, but at those who are trying to beat the system. He adds human smuggling is a despicable crime that preys on individuals who are desperate and willing to pay huge amounts of money to organized criminal gangs who then take risks with their lives.

Toews dismisses critics who say the new law would have prevented the Mennonite immigration years ago had it been in place back then. He explains the Mennonites who came in by ship, for example, his parents in the 1920's, entered legally and followed all the rules.
Toews says nothing in the new legislation would have shut the door to them.

He adds Canada remains very generous when it comes to immigrants and refugees, taking in more than 250 thousand people every year.