Human trafficking: a call for reforms.

• Date: 01 July 2012
• Author: Winterdyk, John,Kaye, Julie,Quarterman, Lara
• Published date: 01 July 2012
• Author: Winterdyk, John

Next to drug trafficking, human trafficking has been described by various international sources as the second most profitable crime in the world. While there is virtually no country that is immune to human trafficking, until recently and following the enactment of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (known as the Palermo Protocol) in 2005, few efforts have been made to evaluate the counter-human trafficking interventions internationally and in Canada. Human trafficking has remained an understudied crime that knows no borders.

With the inception of ACT (Action Coalition on Human Trafficking) Alberta in 2008, the awareness of human trafficking in Alberta has grown, owing both to the efforts of federal and provincial government agencies and the efforts of ACT and other NGOs such as Not For Sale and Chrysalis Network. These agencies have mandates to raise awareness within the community and offer training to frontline service providers on human trafficking.

While domestic and international human trafficking is known to occur within and across Alberta's borders, the actual experiences and needs of trafficked persons remain unclear and poorly defined, as does the way in which communities have responded (see, generally, Winterdyk et al., 2012). This article is drawn from the first (exploratory) study of its kind in Canada. It focused on consulting with agencies from various levels of government and non-governmental entities that have, or could, come into contact with trafficked persons. The project targeted a cross-section of agencies involved in all aspects of countering human trafficking, including those that assist in the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases and those that offer services and support to victims in trafficking (or those populations that are assumed to be vulnerable to trafficking). The intent of the research was to define the nature and scope of human trafficking in Calgary by drawing from existing knowledge in order to enhance localized responses to human trafficking.

The findings of the study will be used to formalize protocols for responding to the rights and needs of internationally and domestically trafficked persons in the city of Calgary. The information can also be used by other communities wishing to establish or improve their response to human trafficking and should inform provincial policy discussions.

Human Trafficking and the Law...