Harper who is visiting British Columbia to promote his immigration reforms toured the MV Ocean Lady that brought 76 Sri Lankan migrants to Vancouver in October 2009.
The Canadian PM is in Vancouver to rally support for Bill C-49, his government's immigration reforms.
Harper has said that his Conservative government is cracking down on illegal human smuggling and sending a message with its reforms that abuse of Canada's immigration system will not be tolerated, Canada's CTV reported.
He has vowed to bring comprehensive legislation designed to deter immigrants arriving in Canada and to impose stiff penalties for the smugglers.
The Bill C-49, aimed at preventing human smugglers abusing Canada's Immigration
System Act, amends Canada's Criminal Code, which contains no provisions to specifically prohibit trafficking in persons, to make trafficking in persons a criminal offence.
Last August a modified Thai cargo ship, MV Sun Sea sailed to Canada with 492 Tamil migrants including women and children, some of whom are suspected of being members of the banned terrorist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
In addition to Bill C-49, the prime minister says the federal government has appointed a special adviser on human smuggling and illegal migration and strengthened co-operation with international partners to combat human smuggling.
Canada's opposition parties however, are against the bill saying that the bill is flawed and unconstitutional.
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