World Day Against Trafficking in Persons – July 30, 2015
Human trafficking is a despicable crime and a serious violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers and the impact stretches across nearly every country in the world.
Today, we mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness around the global issue of human trafficking and to encourage people to take action against this terrible crime.
Our Government has made a strong commitment to its national partners, global allies and all Canadians that we will take a firm stance against human trafficking.
On June 6, 2012, our Government launched the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which contains four core elements: preventing human trafficking, protecting victims, prosecuting offenders and working in partnership with others on the domestic and international fronts.
Through this National Action Plan our Government has:
- Launched a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) enforcement team to conduct human trafficking investigations;
- Provided funding to a number of international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work with governments to address human trafficking, with a focus on prevention, protection and rehabilitation of trafficking victims;
- Made available, under the Justice Canada Victims Fund, up to $500,000 annually to support projects that enhance services for victims of human trafficking;
- Amended the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act Regulations to provide further protection to temporary foreign workers (TFWs), including ensuring that employers make reasonable efforts to provide a workplace free of abuse;
- Launched a national awareness campaign on the domestic sex trafficking of Aboriginal peoples living on and off reserve and in rural and northern communities;
- Engaged and collaborated with civil society and all levels of government to support knowledge exchange, strengthen partnerships and inform policy responses, which included hosting a National Forum; and
- Conducted research to increase understanding of labour trafficking and an exploratory study on the human trafficking of Aboriginal women and girls.
Our Government is committed to the global fight against human trafficking and is stepping up its efforts to address this heinous crime in Canada and abroad. As new information about the scope and nature of human trafficking in Canada comes to light, we will continue to enhance our efforts to engage with stakeholders and experts across the country on an ongoing basis in order to help prevent human trafficking and stand up for victims of this terrible crime.
- The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- The Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
- The Honourable Robert Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice
- The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie
- The Honourable Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
- The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
Contact:
Etienne Rainville
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924
Public Safety Canada – Media Relations
613-991-0657
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For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca.
