Thank you, Madam Chair. It's my pleasure to meet with you today to discuss the actions being taken by the RCMP to combat human trafficking.
Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, or harbouring of persons for the purpose of exploitation, typically in the sex industry or for forced labour. Children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation as they have limited comprehension of events unfolding around them.
Traffickers use various methods to maintain control over their victims, including force, sexual assault, and threats of violence. The extent of victimization must be recognized as a significant aspect of this crime. Persons are reduced to and treated as nothing more than a commodity.
Although the United Nations estimates that one million people are trafficked throughout the world every year, the extent of trafficking into, through, and within Canada is not known, due to the clandestine nature of this activity and the difficulty in distinguishing between traffic victims and illegal migrants.
In 2004, the RCMP released a strategic intelligence assessment that examined current and historical trends in human trafficking in Canada. This assessment found that Canada, as a developed nation with a strong, stable economy and generous social assistance programs, was an attractive destination, and that persons trafficked into Canada were destined for the domestic and United States markets. This assessment provided an initial analysis of the nature and scope of trafficking in persons in Canada since 1999. Over time, however, the identification of cases and gathering of information will allow for an enhanced understanding of both international and domestic trafficking.
The first human trafficking charge under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was laid in Vancouver in April 2005. This case surfaced when an employee at a massage parlour called the police to report that she had been assaulted by the owner. An investigation ensued between the RCMP and the Vancouver Police Department, and the owner was charged with various offences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Canadian Criminal Code. This case is currently before the courts.
Today I would like to discuss with you the RCMP's priorities for combatting human trafficking, including awareness initiatives, victim protection, and strengthening partnerships. The mandate of the immigration and passport program is to work in concert with domestic and foreign agencies at all levels, as well as the community at large, to protect and enhance the quality of life through education, prevention, and enforcement. At the same time, our strategy is to combat and disrupt organized migrant smuggling and the trafficking of persons.
To fulfill these priorities, the immigration and passport program developed Canada's first Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre, in Ottawa to address national and international components of human trafficking investigations. The centre was fully staffed in May 2006 with four RCMP officers and a civilian member analyst.
To better describe the centre, it can be compared to a clearing house or a coordination centre, where staff help to create new initiatives such as educational and training tools for law enforcement; develop policy; coordinate investigations, including requests from international law enforcement agencies; and provide analytical services. This is a new concept, and while there will be some growing pains, I'm very proud of our dedicated staff and am pleased with the number of initiatives we've been able to roll out in such a short period of time.
In addition to the new centre, the RCMP is aggressively developing initiatives to address victim protection. The safety and security of victims must be considered at all stages of the criminal justice process, and appropriate measures must be taken, when necessary, to protect victims. We are working to find better ways to identify the people who have taken a chance on an alluring job opportunity, only to have their dreams of a better life turned into a nightmare of abuse and humiliation. We need to help law enforcement rescue them and prosecute the offenders.
As you might expect, in order to meet those goals, a comprehensive assistance and protection protocol must be in place to provide victims with protection and adequate services. This will also give law enforcement a better chance of reciprocal assistance from the victim, and ultimately the prosecution of their traffickers.
Our Pacific region immigration and passport section, in collaboration with the Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre, developed a human trafficking victim care and protection flow chart. It follows a victim step by step, from point of identification through risk assessment; to provision of services, protection, and investigation; to repatriation or receipt of status. This section has made significant strides in developing trusted relationships with non-governmental organizations and faith-based groups.
In partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development, they are developing a working group comprising social service providers, law enforcement agencies, and other government departments directly involved with human trafficking.
Once established, this group will develop a strategy that coordinates their resources in order to deliver a comprehensive and timely response for identified victims. This group is laying the groundwork for improved coordination among partner agencies that I believe will be adapted by immigration and passport sectors across Canada and shared with law enforcement agencies globally.
Taking a closer look at training or educational initiatives, the RCMP, in collaboration with our Pacific region, the human trafficking centre, the Department of Justice, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and the Canada Border Services Agency, created a highly informative thirteen-minute video that's being shown to law enforcement agencies across the country. The video incorporates information from a variety of experts, including investigators, academics, and non-governmental organization leaders who work with victims. It explains the difference between human smuggling and human trafficking and offers advice on how to identify victims, the elements of a human trafficking investigation, and, most of all, the importance of working together.
Other new awareness materials include a poster titled “Make a Difference”, which lists indicators on ways to identify a victim and contact information.
We've also created a contact card that is similar in appearance to a business card but contains tips on identifying potential victims of human trafficking, as well as phone numbers where specialized RCMP officers will be available 24/7 to provide direct assistance to law enforcement agencies on questions they have regarding human trafficking issues.
Furthermore, RCMP officers are raising the profile of human trafficking among the law enforcement agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations through regional conferences, informal gatherings, and formal presentations, including international venues such as Interpol and Europol, where we share Canadian strategies with others.
Interpol is the only international forum providing exchanges on intelligence and strategies to deal with human trafficking worldwide. This gathering of resources promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between police authorities.
The RCMP immigration and passport program has been proactive in enhancing our international partnerships regarding human trafficking. Some of the partnerships we're currently involved in include the Canada-China working group, the federal Interdepartmental working group on trafficking in persons, the Steering Committee of the Interpol Working Group on Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation, the Europol annual experts' meeting on trafficking in human beings, and the annual meeting of police experts for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Finally, while we are making good strides, of course, there is still more work to do. Some of our future goals include: developing and administering workshops for NGOs to enhance cooperation and facilitate sharing of information; providing information to Canadian peacekeepers travelling to source countries relating to escalation of abuse and exploitation of victims through personal involvement; working with the Canada Border Services Agency to develop training for law enforcement and border agents, who often have first contact with potential or actual trafficking victims; coordinating regional conferences with law enforcement officers to discuss specific investigations and share intelligence; partnering with municipal bylaw officers to maintain checks on agricultural farm workers; assisting with the development of awareness programs for orphanages and foster agencies domestically and abroad; working with the International Organization for Migration and RCMP international liaison officers to develop a structure for the repatriation of victims; and developing an inventory of victim protection measures throughout Canada.
In closing, Madam Chair, let me reiterate that the issue of human trafficking is of the utmost importance to the RCMP. It is our belief that combatting human trafficking requires a multi-faceted approach, and the RCMP is committed to continuing to work closely with our many partners in responding to this crime locally, nationally, and internationally.
Human trafficking is not an issue that can be addressed by law enforcement alone; it must include multi-agency collaboration. We look forward to developing and implementing a broad range of initiatives in the future to increase awareness of this heinous crime.
Thank you for having me appear today.