Human Trafficking in Canada

1259 Words3 Pages

CTV News shared breaking news on October, 23, 2013 that four Romanian women were found being victimized to human trafficking in Montreal. These women were lured to Canada hoping that they would find a better future but instead were forced into prostitution (2013). Human trafficking is an issue that is rarely acknowledged by Canadians. Most people are either unaware of the problem or do not recognize it as something that is happening in their own backyard. Although Canadians are exposed to the severity of human trafficking in other countries, Canadian citizens are unaware of the fact that Canada is not only a transit point for the United States but also a destination country. Information from the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre states “The RCMP estimates that 600-800 persons are trafficked into Canada annually, predominantly for sexual purposes, also additional 1,500-2,200 people are trafficked through Canada and into the United states” (2010). Canada is a source of transit and destination for human trafficking, some of the victims being as young as twelve years old (Human trafficking, 2010). The definition of what human trafficking is focusing on who the victims are and who the traffickers, the increase in trafficking due to globalization, and the role Canada plays in preventing it will all be explained further. Defining human trafficking can be difficult due to the fact that it can be confused with other illegal activities such as smuggling and consented prostitution. In the essay Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery In The 21st Century , Shaden Mohajerin states that human trafficking can be defined as the transferring, harboring, and transportation of persons which is accomplished through force, coercion, kidnapping, and deception (... ... middle of paper ... ...ved November 27, 2013, from http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/human-trafficking-in-canada-arrests-made-1.1509760 Government of Canada. (2013).National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. Retrieved from http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ntnl-ctn-pln-cmbt/index-eng.aspx#toc-01 Human Trafficking and Sex Trade. (2010).Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://www.orcc.net/sites/all/files/pdf/Human-Trafficking-and-the-Sex-Trade-FS.pdf Mohajerin, S. K. (2006). Human trafficking: Modern day slavery in the 21st century. Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 12(3), 125-132. Oxman-Martinez, J., Martinez, A., & Hanley, J. (2001). Human trafficking: Canadian government policy and practice. Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees, 19(4). Simard, J. (2012). The True North Strong and Free? A detailed look into human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation in Canada.

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