(ILO, 2017) Religious leaders of various faiths, gathered to work together “to defend the dignity and freedom of the human being against the extreme forms of the globalisation of indifference, such us exploitation, forced labour, prostitution, human trafficking” and so forth. "In Canada, human trafficking often takes place in large urban centres, and also occurs in smaller cities and communities, largely for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers exploit Canadian victims within the country, but traffickers have also exploited some Canadian victims abroad, mainly in the United States. The Human Trafficking Taskforce was established in June 2012 to replace the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons as the body responsible for the development of public policy related to human trafficking in Canada. The government’s 2018 budget including 14.5 million Canadian dollars ($10.65 million) over five years, beginning in 2018-2019, to establish a national human trafficking hotline to be operated by an NGO and launched in May 2019. UNITED NATIONS, Jul 25 2019 (IPS) - Human trafficking for sexual exploitation has been steadily increasing in Canada. It is estimated that there are nearly 20.9 million human trafficking victims worldwide at any time. British Columbia’s provincial anti-trafficking office coordinated the provincial strategy, services, and identified gaps and barriers, such as a need for a regular working group between RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency, the provincial crown prosecutor, and U.S. law enforcement agencies. The government acknowledged some sex trafficking cases resulted in convictions under other criminal code sections. “There are currently more Indigenous children in the welfare system than there were in residential schools,” said Elana Finestone of the Native Women’s Association of Canada. • Minimize wait times for access to government services, particularly for foreign victims. She believes there needs to be a national trauma-informed employment program for survivors. Inconsistent with the definition of trafficking under international law, the law did not establish the use of force, fraud, or coercion as an essential element of the crime. 1,118 of these cases were sex trafficking cases, 158 were labor trafficking, and 69 were both sex and labor. Traffickers exploit legal foreign workers from Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa in forced labor in a variety of sectors, including agriculture, construction, food processing plants, restaurants, and hospitality, or as domestic workers, including diplomatic households. The government issued TRPs to 40 foreign victims and their dependents in 2018, compared to 32 in 2017 and 67 in 2016. The victims of human trafficking are often young girls and women. She left that position and is now focused on rehabilitation of survivors through a social enterprise called Timea’s Cause. The government reported federal officials responsible for enforcing IRPA opened five new investigations but did not report whether these cases involved forced labor or sex trafficking. If you are in need of assistance, please call 1-833-900-1010. At the young age of 20, while living in poverty in Hungary and facing a large amount of debt, Nagy responded to an advertisement in the newspaper to work as a babysitter in Canada. Those who are likely to be at-ri… The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking launched a multilingual hotline for trafficking victims across Canada this past May. The National Human Trafficking Hotline maintains one of the most extensive data sets on the issue of human trafficking in the United States. UNITED NATIONS, Jul 25 2019 (IPS) - Human trafficking for sexual exploitation has been steadily increasing in Canada. There need to be interventions in young people’s lives before they go down these paths.”. The government held consultations to gather stakeholders’ views to inform the government’s anti-trafficking activities but did not publish a national action plan. By Nadia Kanji Contributing Writer UNITED NATIONS, New York July 30, 2019 (IPS) — Human trafficking for sexual exploitation has been steadily increasing in Canada. • Investigate and prosecute Canadian child sex tourists. Entities located in a county with a population of 500,000 or less must report human trafficking data by August 1, 2021. The vast majority of victims in Canada between 2009 … Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office of International Religious Freedom, Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser, Bureau of Information Resource Management, Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Office of Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Service, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Foreign trafficking victims could apply for a temporary resident permit (TRP) to remain in Canada, which entitled victims to access health care and receive a work permit. In 2019, its owners were arrested on prostitution charges, which was part of a larger investigation on the role of human trafficking in massage parlors. Seventy-two percent of trafficked victims in Canada are under the age of 25, and 51 percent of trafficked girls have been involved in the child welfare system. Between 2008 and 2019 the number of human trafficking victims identified worldwide more than tripled from 30,961 to 105,787. (ILO, 2017) 16 million people are trafficked for forced labor in the private economy. The remaining cases were not specified. This five-yearNational Strategywill strengthen Canada’s response to human trafficking and support broader Government of Canada commitments, including preventing and addressing gender-based violence, and supporting the safety and security of Indigenous peoples. • Implement revised laws and policies to address trafficking in the federal supply chain. UNITED NATIONS, New York July 30, 2019 (IPS) — Human trafficking for sexual exploitation has been steadily increasing in Canada. When the conversation came up about how she could make money to get back on her feet, he told her she would be able to buy a condo and travel if she danced for just a couple of months. Her trafficker was eventually charged with sexual assault but was found not guilty. Government officials at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels may investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers; however, the government did not report comprehensive data at each of these levels. TRP holders could apply for fee-exempt work permits, but the government did not report how many foreign victims received permits in 2018. Human trafficking is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The government slightly increased law enforcement efforts. Convicted traffickers in the U.S. are given 155-year sentences, whereas in Canada, traffickers will get an eight-year sentence at the most for the same crime. "In Canada, human trafficking often takes place in large urban centres, and also occurs in smaller cities and communities, largely for the purpose of sexual exploitation. All rights reserved. Statistics Canada included a question in a 2018 survey on the number of individuals seeking shelter in facilities for victims of abuse due to trafficking, which may help to provide a first estimate of the number of beds needed for trafficking victims. The centre’s CEO Barbara Gosse said law enforcement is currently maxed out on this issue and under-resourced, which needs to change. In 2019, a total of 538 cases of human trafficking were reported across Mexico, down from 560 cases a year earlier. Nagy worked as a mobile care worker for six years with Walk With Me Canada Victim Services to help law enforcement approach victims. As the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and on behalf of partners across the federal government, I am pleased to present theNational Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (National Strategy). Public Safety Canada continued $152,000 in funding to two multi-year projects to develop housing response models for trafficking. One of the greatest challenges in developing targeted counter-trafficking responses and measuring their impact is the lack of reliable, high-quality data related to the scale of human trafficking and the profile of victims. Although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not provide comprehensive data on investigations, prosecutions, and convictions from all jurisdictions or on victims provided with services nationwide. No one reaches out to them the way pimps do.”. But we also need to be educating young people so that they aren’t vulnerable to traffickers,” Bruder told IPS. The government’s 2018 budget including 14.5 million Canadian dollars ($10.65 million) over five years, beginning in 2018-2019, to establish a national human trafficking hotline to be operated by an NGO and launched in May 2019. The. All rights reserved. Section 286.1 criminalized purchasing commercial sex acts from an individual under 18 years of age and prescribed a minimum penalty of six months and a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking has launched the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline. Starting in 2016, the province allocated 72 million Canadian dollars ($52.86 million) over four years to address trafficking. The range, quality, and timely delivery of trafficking-specific services varied nationwide and the government did not fund or provide access to sufficient emergency housing specifically for trafficking victims. IPS is an international communication institution with a global news agency at its core, The most recent statistics indicate that 2016 had the highest recorded rate of human trafficking, with one police-reported incident for every 100,000 people in Canada. The Department of Justice provided 250,000 Canadian dollars ($183,550) to two NGOs for a new two-year project to provide case management and direct services to forced labor victims. Canada: drug-trafficking, production or distribution offences 2000-2019 Number of drug-related offences in Quebec 19,161 In Canada, most cases of human trafficking involve other offences, such as assault or sexual exploitation. Seventy-two percent of trafficked victims in Canada are under the age of 25, and 51 percent of trafficked girls have been involved in the child welfare system. For assistance, call 1-833-900-1010 or use the Chat function on this website. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, Bureaus and Offices Reporting Directly to the Secretary, Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues, Office of the U.S. If you are a victim/survivor of forced prostitution or forced labour, or believe someone else might be, call the hotline at 1-833-900-1010. The government worked to revise its laws and policies to address trafficking in the federal supply chain by drafting amendments to the criminal and immigration law, a new self-certification policy in the apparel sector, and an updated debarment policy for suppliers. While the government finished consultations to develop a new national action plan, it did not publish a new plan during the reporting period. The government reported it referred three of 16 leads received related to potential trafficking cases generated by its online fraud reporting tool for temporary foreign workers. Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that occurs in every state, including California. Resources Library; Promotional Resources; Referral Directory; Calendar of Events; Safety Planning; Get Help; Submit a Tip The Hotline has resumed operating 24 hours, 7 days a week. Your contribution will make a huge difference. During hearings conducted by the House Committee on Justice and Human Rights in 2018, witnesses expressed concern that many first responders, including police and medical professionals, could not properly identify trafficking victims. The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period; therefore Canada remained on Tier 1. At the provincial level, the government of British Columbia identified 132 potential victims through calls received by their hotline. Some provinces or territories offered trafficking-specific services through government agencies or NGOs. The statistics contained on this website are based on aggregated information learned through signals -- phone calls, texts, online chats, emails, and online tip reports -- received by the Trafficking Hotline. Statistics and Facts. Bruder added that social media sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, and MeetMe are new recruiting grounds for traffickers. The RCMP Human Trafficking National Coordination Center and regional trafficking awareness coordinators in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia served as anti-trafficking points of contact for law enforcement across the country and participated in regional response teams and meetings to share local strategies, best practices, and successful cases. Of these 455 cases, 433 cases were do… Provincial governments, which have responsibility for the delivery of welfare services, provided access to services depending on the jurisdiction where the crime victim resided, with each province or territory using a police-based, court-based, or system-based service delivery model. The Calgary Circle, the newest affiliate in our sisterhood of Circles, is supporting ACT Alberta, an organisation that works to end human trafficking in Alberta, Canada. An official website of the United States government, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office of the U.S. The federal government assisted victims through its crime victim assistance regime, which relied on Justice Canada’s funding to the provinces and territories. “He was pitching a dream, a dream I was desperate to believe because the reality of my life was unbearable. Canadians travel abroad to engage in sex acts with children, and foreign nationals engage in sex acts with children in Canada. National Human & Sex Trafficking Statistics Millions of men, women and children across the country and world are victims of human trafficking for forced labor, sex and other types of exploitation. It overwhelmingly takes place within Canada’s borders The government made efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex and forced labor through awareness-raising and training. Would you consider a $20.00 contribution today that will help to keep the IPS news wire active? Authorities continued to distribute a publication warning Canadians traveling abroad about penalties under Canada’s child sex tourism law. Human trafficking needn’t involve physically moving anyone anywhere. The Centre speaks to The Anglican Church of Canada about sex trafficking: Search for: Recent Posts. In 2019, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline received 48,326 total contacts, including a 19 percent increase in the number of human trafficking victims and survivors contacting the Trafficking … The most recent statistics indicate that 2016 had the highest recorded rate of human trafficking, with one police-reported incident for every 100,000 people in Canada. She is the founder of a grassroots organisation called the, As Fathers Die, Kashmir’s Children Become Breadwinners, West Africa’s Fine Line Between Cultural Norms and Child Trafficking, Women and Girls “Preyed on as the Spoils of War”, National Inquiry to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Solar Power from Argentina’s Puna Highlands Reaches Entire Country. • Implement plans to fund a national trafficking hotline.

In an effort to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly passed an ordinance in July 2017 prohibiting girls younger than 18 from working in compensated dating—or “JK”—services and requiring such businesses to register their employee rosters with the city. Copyright © 2020 IPS-Inter Press Service. • Increase partnerships with the private sector, including financial institutions, to prevent trafficking. NGOs also reported a need for more trauma-informed care for victims, whom the health care system sometimes re-traumatized. The government, along with Australia, the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, launched a set of principles for governments to use as a framework for preventing and addressing forced labor in public and private sector supply chains. Section 279.02 also criminalized receiving financial or any other material benefit from trafficking and prescribed a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment with adult victims and a mandatory minimum of two years to a maximum of 14 years’ imprisonment with child victims. Authorities identified 89 new victims in trafficking-specific cases in 2018, compared to 60 in 2017, 77 in 2016, and 99 in 2015. The government also admitted gaps in data collection and analysis of the prevalence of trafficking. Authorities charged the sergeant with misconduct related to the operation. People need more choices to earn an income.”. We know that men, women and children fall victim to this crime, although women represent the majority of victims in Canada to date. Barbara Gosse said law enforcement is currently maxed out on this issue and under-resourced, which needs to change. Through this regime, the federal government allocated funding for 24 projects to NGOs and law enforcement agencies to provide case management, direct services, capacity building, and agency collaboration; but did not report how many victims were assisted by these projects in 2018. The origins of the GSN come from the endeavours of the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders signed on 2 December 2014. Authorities argued these offenses were easier to prove in the absence of victim testimony, noting victims fear reprisal from their traffickers and may be unwilling to testify, which may reveal a lack of victim witness protection. Other efforts have focused on providing resources to front line service providers. Of the 89 new victims identified, 81 were female and eight were male, 61 were adults and 28 were children, and 79 were victims of sex trafficking and 10 were victims of forced labor. Ontario recorded 1.6 human trafficking incidents per 100,000 residents in 2016, Statistics Canada reports. raising the voices of the South and civil society on issues of development, globalisation, human rights and the environment Section 279.03 criminalized withholding or destroying documents to facilitate trafficking and prescribed a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment for adult victims and a mandatory minimum of one year to a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for child victims. The State Department’s 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report found the Department of Justice opened significantly fewer human trafficking investigations in 2018 compared to … • Increase proactive identification of victims, particularly through screening among vulnerable populations and training of first responders in victim-centered techniques. According to the International Labour Office, there are 21 million victims of human trafficking across the globe. A new Statistics Canada report suggests the majority of human trafficking victims in Canada are women and girls younger than 25, while most … The government did not report any victims who obtained restitution in 2018 for the third consecutive year. Females under the age of 25 years represented 70% of all victims ofpolice-reported human trafficking (26% were less than 18 years old, and 44%were between 18 and 24 years). “The focus needs to be on accessible services for Indigenous women and girls, with Indigenous-led community services,” Finestone said. The federal government also invested 3.4 million Canadian dollars ($2.5 million) in 2018-2019 to establish, as a pilot program, a migrant worker support network for individuals facing potential labor exploitation and trafficking by their employers. The government maintained prevention efforts. The Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre (HTNCC) reported that as of November 2017, they had identified 455 cases of human trafficking since 2005. Over the last decade, concern regarding human trafficking in Canada has grown. We know that men, women and children fall victim to this crime, although women represent the majority of victims in Canada to date. “Trafficking in Persons”… mean[s] the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another perso… • Increase training for government officials, particularly for prosecutors and judges, including on seeking and ordering restitution upon trafficking convictions. 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