Question Period Note: Human Trafficking

How is the Government of Canada working to prevent and address GBV including protecting those who are at risk of human trafficking?

• Human trafficking is a heinous crime that disproportionately impacts women and girls, at-risk populations, as well as their families and communities.
• The Government of Canada is committed to preventing and addressing all forms of gender-based violence, including supporting those at risk of experiencing and those who have experienced human trafficking.
• In September 2019, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking was introduced to address this crime. Funding for the National Strategy builds on a previous investment to establish Canada’s Human Trafficking Hotline, a multilingual service operating to connect victims and survivors with social services, law enforcement, and emergency services, as well as receive tips from the public.
• On December 15, 2020, the Government of Canada announced $22.4 million in funding to 63 organizations for projects designed to prevent and address human trafficking and support at-risk populations, victims, and survivors.
• Budget 2021 includes $105 million over 5 years for WAGE to enhance its Gender-Based Violence Program, including increased funding for initiatives to stop human trafficking and support at-risk populations and survivors.

Human trafficking, also referred to as “trafficking in persons,” involves recruiting, transporting, transferring, receiving, holding, concealing, harbouring, or exercising control, direction, or influence over a person, for the purpose of exploitation, generally for sexual exploitation or forced labour.

Canada has been identified as a source, destination, and transit country for human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. Human trafficking is a highly gendered crime and a form of gender-based violence as women and girls accounted for 97% of police-identified victims in Canada between 2009 and 2018; with 45% of all victims between the ages of 18 and 24 and 28% being girls under the age of 18.
In September 2019, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (National Strategy) was launched by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, with investments of over $57 million over five years and $10 million per year ongoing. It takes a whole-of-government approach that will:
• Empower victims and survivors to regain self-confidence and control over their lives;
• Prevent more of these crimes from taking place;
• Better protect those who are most at-risk of being trafficked;
• Prosecute human traffickers for their heinous crimes; and
• Embrace partnerships with provinces and territories and other organizations to maximize impact.

The National Strategy builds on the investment to establish the National Human Trafficking Hotline and advances a number of new and expanded initiatives implemented by Public Safety, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.

Through the National Strategy, WAGE received $10 million over 5 years and $2 million per year ongoing (pending return to Treasury Board) to develop the Continuum of Care – Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations initiative. The initiative provides funding to eligible organizations to develop and implement promising practices to enhance empowerment supports for at-risk populations and victims/survivors of human trafficking, including women and girls, Indigenous women and girls, LGBTQ2 and gender diverse people.

Following a July 2020 call for proposals, on December 15, 2020, the Government of Canada announced $22.4 million in funding to 63 organizations for projects designed to prevent and address human trafficking and support at-risk populations and survivors. Of these 63 projects, WAGE will be funding 43 projects, for a total of $14M. This brings WAGE’s investment in addressing human trafficking to $17M since 2017.

Budget 2021 includes $105 million over 5 years for WAGE to enhance its GBV Program, with funding going to initiatives that engage men and boys, combat human trafficking, and provide support for at-risk populations and survivors.

None