It's like racial profiling. Also, when we talk about the fear of the police, they are not being told to fear the police. They really are fearful of the police, because the law can be used against them and to arrest them. We see that this is happening. Often, the police use criminal law to detain the worker, and they call CBSA to arrest them. Even those who have documents, who have immigration status and who are allowed to work in Canada are still illegal because of immigration prohibition, and they will be kicked out of Canada even if they have a temporary status. Because this is a crime, those who have permanent residence can also be deported. People are not just listening to others' fears about law enforcement. It's their experience and they know that the police are not helpful but dangerous to them. In our research and a lot of the research on sex workers, police and law enforcement are among the major perpetrators against sex workers. They also use the law to take advantage of sex workers and to abuse them.
On February 15th, 2022. See this statement in context.