What is Human Trafficking?

Did You Know?

Canada has a National Hotline? Call: 1-833-900- 1010  Support is available 24/7 in many languages /https://www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca/

In Alberta, you can phone 211 for local resources.  

If it’s an emergency situation, contact 911 or your local police or RCMP. 

A United Nations definition

Human Trafficking is the buying and selling of human beings for purposes of sexual exploitation; labour exploitation; domestic servitude; forced gang activity or forced organ removal and sale.

Human Trafficking takes place in Canada (domestic) or across borders (international).

Federal laws in the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) address human trafficking and procuring (pimping and exploitation). Alberta has the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act (PESCA).

Canada is signatory to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, also known as the Palermo Protocol,

The United Nations defines “Trafficking in Persons” as:
The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Countries that have signed the Palermo Protocol are obligated by Article 9 Section 5 to take action: “States Parties shall adopt or strengthen legislative or other measures, such as educational, social or cultural measures, including through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, that leads to trafficking.”

CEASE staff are experienced in supporting those who have experienced sex trafficking.  For other forms of trafficking such as labour and organ removal in Alberta, contact ACT Alberta.  https://www.actalberta.org/

To learn more about Human Trafficking:

Federal Government https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ntnl-ctn-pln-cmbt/index-en.aspx

Alberta Government: https://www.alberta.ca/protecting-survivors-of-human-trafficking.aspx

Alberta Human Trafficking Taskforce: https://www.alberta.ca/human-trafficking-task-force.aspx