Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee, for the invitation to speak to you today.
I am Superintendent Michel Aubin, the Director of the RCMP's Immigration and Passport Branch at national headquarters in Ottawa.
My branch is responsible for human trafficking and human smuggling matters across Canada. I am joined today by my colleague, Sergeant Marie-Claude Arsenault of the RCMP Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre. We are pleased to have the opportunity to speak to you today about the considerable efforts of law enforcement in combatting human trafficking activity before, during and following the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The RCMP is committed to combating human trafficking, both at home and abroad. In 2005 the RCMP established the Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre, referred to as the HTNCC. It operates on behalf of all law enforcement in Canada, not solely on behalf of the RCMP. The centre develops tools, coordinates national awareness training and anti-trafficking initiatives, develops partnerships, and coordinates intelligence for dissemination among law enforcement agencies in Canada.
Although it is difficult to compare major events planned in Canada with those that occur in other countries, as the laws and circumstances may not correspond, we are aware that individuals may use the Olympics and Paralympic Games to profit from criminal activity. What we have learned is that awareness and prevention are positive factors in mitigating the risk of increased occurrences of human trafficking.
In preparation for the games, the RCMP is conducting a number of activities in the Vancouver area and across Canada. The RCMP, in conjunction with its partners, has developed a human trafficking awareness workshop, which is being delivered to law enforcement people and prosecutors across the country. Workshops were delivered in the Vancouver area in October 2008. Additional workshops are taking place this week in the Vancouver and Victoria area, and more are planned for delivery in October 2009 in the Vancouver area and in various locations in the B.C. interior.
As part of its program, the RCMP has human trafficking awareness coordinators in each of the regional investigative teams dedicated to preventing human trafficking. Key responsibilities of these coordinators include raising awareness among, and developing strong relationships with, law enforcement, government agencies, NGOs, and the public in all provinces and territories. These established networks are critical in enabling police and NGOs to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking. In British Columbia in particular, a strong partnership has been established between the human trafficking coordinator and the provincial office to combat human trafficking. They work together during human trafficking operations to protect identified victims.
Members of the Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre and these coordinators have travelled extensively across Canada and internationally to raise awareness on human trafficking issues. To date, they have trained over 16,000 law enforcement, government, and non-government organizations across Canada on this very issue. They will continue to work closely with partners in British Columbia leading up to the games.
To ensure that members of the law enforcement community, relevant NGOs, and the public are made more aware of this issue, the RCMP has developed a human trafficking awareness tool kit to help identify potential victims as well as their traffickers. The tool kit has been distributed to all law enforcement agencies in Canada as well as to the various NGOs involved in the fight against human trafficking.
For your information, the tool kit contains an awareness video, victim assistance guidelines, posters, a police officer's handbook, a pamphlet, and a contact card. The RCMP has been working with the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association in their effort to launch a human trafficking public awareness campaign. As a result of this partnership, the Crime Stoppers tip-line phone number has been added to all RCMP human trafficking awareness materials.
Other ongoing initiatives with international partners include the following: consultation, both nationally and internationally, to learn and share best practices; MOUs being developed; awareness sessions provided to RCMP international liaison officers and law enforcement officers participating in UN missions abroad; and awareness sessions and training provided to law enforcement agencies in other countries regarding specific problems.
The RCMP leads the 2010 Integrated Security Unit Joint Intelligence Group. This unit monitors intelligence on criminal activities related to the Olympics and Paralympic Games, including human trafficking. As I mentioned earlier, the Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre coordinates and disseminates intelligence to law enforcement groups across Canada, including the Integrated Security Unit Joint Intelligence Group.
The RCMP is also currently conducting a national threat assessment to assess the situation in Canada with a focus on international human trafficking. The goal of the threat assessment is to identify criminal organizations involved in human trafficking. This will provide law enforcement with a guide to further direct its resources on this issue.
The RCMP program has members placed strategically in six key areas across Canada, dedicated to combating human smuggling and human trafficking. When human trafficking is detected, units are available to investigate. In British Columbia, leading up to the games, law enforcement is conducting proactive operations to detect human trafficking activities and is responding accordingly to the intelligence activities.
As human trafficking has no borders, law enforcement requires shared strategic priorities and the devotion of resources toward achieving common goals. The RCMP works with its partners to achieve such integration. Given the enormity of the task of keeping Canada safe, especially during major events, a multi-Iayered and multi-agency approach to enforcement is required.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak to your committee today, and I will be available to answer questions.