The Issue

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40 MILLION PEOPLE GLOBALLY ARE TRAPPED IN MODERN DAY SLAVERY

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CRIMES IN CANADA

72% OF REPORTED HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN CANADA ARE UNDER 25 YEARS OF AGE

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The Issue

Human trafficking is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

It is a violation of a person’s most basic human rights and is often described as modern-day slavery.

It is one of the fastest-growing crimes nationally and globally, generating billions of dollars annually around the world, second to illegal arms trafficking and the drug trade.

The most common type of human trafficking is commercial sexual exploitation.

Sex trafficking is a high-profit, low-risk business for the exploiter who sells human bodies as a commodity repeatedly, unlike drugs or weapons, where the product can only be sold once.

Sexual Exploitation and
Sex Trafficking in Canada

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada, and 93% of reported victims are Canadians being trafficked domestically.

The national and global extent of human trafficking is difficult to assess due to the hidden nature of these offenses, the reluctance of victims and witnesses to come forward to law enforcement, and the difficulty of identifying victims in practice.

Moreover, these cases often go unnoticed and unreported due to manipulation, fear, threats from traffickers, shame, language barriers, or mistrust of authority.