Urge Canada to adopt effective protection measures to combat human trafficking.
Canadians are proud of our country’s role in advancing human rights, from challenging South African Apartheid to establishing the International Land Mines Treaty. Canada’s current response to human trafficking is inadequate and inconsistent with this history.
It is urgent that Canada add victim protection to its current approach of human trafficking prevention and prosecution. It is time to join other countries leading the fight against human trafficking.
Three victim protection measures are essential:
Support: Provide immediate access to well-funded support centres with counseling, translation, health care, legal advice, shelter, and food services.
Security: Develop a quick acting response tribunal that grants an unconditional 90-day reflection period for a trafficked person to choose his or her next course of action: safe passage home, refugee application, and/or participation in prosecution.
Safety: Grant amnesty for any illegal activities that are performed under threat, coercion or force.
These protections should be provided regardless of victims’ cooperation in the prosecution of traffickers.