The Hon. Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Public Safety
269 Laurier Avenue, West
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0P8
Canada
Dear Minister,
Today, on the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we want to thank you for the actions that have been taken to combat trafficking and urge you to press on in this important fight.
The Government of Canada has long recognized that trafficking is a serious violation of human rights. Canada was among the first countries to ratify the United Nations Palermo Protocol.
Canada has acknowledged the importance of a comprehensive, coordinated and multi-faceted national approach to respond to human trafficking in its national strategies. We appreciate the way Public Safety Canada raises awareness of trafficking, its warning signs, victims and dangers through its website and ad campaign.
As the national strategy ends this year, it is essential that Canada enact a permanent, responsive strategy with stable funding to effectively fight human trafficking. Time-limited strategies can result in gaps in funding, policy and response. We are very concerned that the current strategy is ending this year, without another in place.
The realities of human trafficking call for deliberate, coordinated action, both in Canada and around the world. As noted in the Statistics Canada report, Trafficking in persons in Canada, 2022, human trafficking in Canada almost always involves the sexual exploitation of young women and girls. Around a quarter (24%) of victims are under 18; and approximately 43% of victims are between the ages of 18 and 24. Canada is a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking.
Prostitution is the most common endpoint for trafficking, in Canada and around the world. We commend the government for defending the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act at the Supreme Court of Canada in R v. Kloubakov. This legislation’s focus on ending the demand for paid sexual services is critical to the fight against trafficking. We urge the government to pursue its full implementation and enforcement across Canada.
Human trafficking is not just a serious crime with devastating impacts, it is also one that is often hidden, difficult to detect and hard to prosecute. The large majority (89%) of human trafficking charges between 2018 and 2019 were withdrawn, stayed, dismissed or discharged. Less than 1 in 10 charges (7%) ended in a guilty finding, compared to 31% of violent offences (Statistics Canada, 2022). This demonstrates that to fight human trafficking, training and enforcement are critical, as well as prevention and awareness efforts.
Funding for victims’ services, ongoing training, efforts to raise awareness and increase prevention are critical, alongside legislative efforts to combat trafficking.
We urge you to establish a permanent strategy that includes a survivor advisory committee, stable funding for victim services, and training for law enforcement and frontline personnel.
Sincerely,
Julia Beazley
Director, Public Policy
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
[Website editor's note: read the EFC's Blog for World Day Against Trafficking in Persons]
Author:
Julia Beazley