I will actually be going first, if that is all right, Madam Chair.
This is good timing. Jamie has given us the big picture on a global scale, and we're going to focus in more tightly on details of what's happening in Canada.
Joan and I work together at a justice office for the Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada, and we're also members of a local anti-trafficking group in the London area. We're here today because members of our anti-trafficking group have accompanied trafficking survivors as they seek to free themselves from exploitation. In the process, we've learned a great deal about the strengths and weaknesses of the current temporary resident permit for trafficked persons.
I'll begin by speaking about some of the recommendations we have for the TRP, as well as the interview process that accompanies it.
One of the trafficking survivors whom we've accompanied is the only person in Canada to have received the TRP as a trafficked person. This permit is important in terms of its capacity to give quick status and recognition to trafficking survivors. However, when trafficking survivors take the risk to come forward, they need to know that the resources and supports are in place that will allow them to extricate themselves from the exploitation in which they've been living and working.
Currently these resources and supports are not in place. At an absolute minimum, this means that the initial TRP has to be for at least six months so that the survivor can get an open work permit. Without this open work permit, it's impossible to remove oneself from exploitation. Consider the experience of the woman who received the TRP. When she told the CIC officer that she needed to work, he told her that his only option was to renew her exotic dancing visa, an option that left her extremely vulnerable to continued exploitation.
Furthermore, without this minimal protection, most trafficking survivors who are still in trafficking situations are simply too afraid to apply for the TRP. It does not seem realistic to them that they will be able to remove themselves from the exploitation in which they live and work and to do so in a way that protects their well-being as well as their family in their country of origin.
We consider other TRP supports such as language and job training to be critical because we are assuming that most trafficking survivors will need to make a transition to mainstream Canadian life. Obviously, if a survivor wishes to return to her country of origin, that option needs to be supported. However, the reality is, given the strong social stigma that trafficking survivors experience in their country of origin if they return, it's often not possible for a survivor to make a successful transition back to the home country. Another problem with return is the ongoing debt with which they will likely be burdened. For most trafficking survivors, a return to the country of origin would mean ongoing persecution, danger, and exploitation.
I'd like to make one more point about the interview process. As we've accompanied trafficking survivors to their interviews, we've experienced firsthand how important it is for trafficking survivors to be accompanied by a support person who understands the issues connected with human trafficking and who is able to help them organize their story in preparation for their interview with CIC. If a CIC official simply asks a trafficking survivor if they were controlled in their work situation, the survivor may not even understand the nuances of the word as it relates to her situation of work. It's important to have someone who can deconstruct the nuanced language.
Let me give you an example. When a member of our anti-trafficking group initially talked to the person who received the TRP, she said she was not controlled by anyone in her original work situation. However, as the survivor went on to describe the conditions of her work, the aspect of control was very obvious. In her country of origin she was misinformed about the nature of the work in the exotic dancing bar as well as the amount of pay she would receive. In Canada, the local agent took her return plane ticket from her. She had to sign over her cheque to the bar owner. She had to live at the bar where she worked and pay her rent from tips she received from clients. Her rent cost more than that of other people who were staying in the building. She was plied with alcohol to get her to perform tasks that she found humiliating. And she was punished for trying to get a change in work shift; she was sent to another, rougher bar where there were a lot of drugs.
With these details, it became clear to the member of the anti-trafficking group that this woman had indeed been controlled by traffickers.
To us, this indicates the need for pre-submission assistance from a support person who can help the trafficking survivor organize her story and who can recognize the elements of her story that correspond with trafficking patterns. In our view, such support would best be achieved by developing strong paths of cooperation between CIC, the RCMP, and local anti-trafficking groups.
Now I'll ask Joan to identify some areas that we think are in need of further clarity.