We made some commitments about this as an opposition party, so when we finally got to government we were able to do something about it. We received a pretty negative report from the Future Group respecting our performance as a country.
We've been one of the countries that has signed...we were a lead negotiator in the protocol on human trafficking in 2000, but we really didn't take steps to deal with the issue. The steps we took were in many respects modest, but so important to the victims of human trafficking. We will issue a temporary residency permit of 120 days for someone who the RCMP and CBSA determine to be a victim of human trafficking. They will immediately get health benefits and counselling. And if they are in a position to do it, obviously we'd love to have their help to identify who the traffickers are so other people aren't victimized.
It's a big problem. The estimate is that there are between 600 and 800 people a year who are victims of human trafficking in Canada, and I think another 1,500 to 2,500 who pass through Canada on the way to the United States. So this is an important first step. We have to go further, but it's a good step.