Justice committee  There have been studies of clients, including by some of my own colleagues here in Canada, and also a fairly large study of clients, or people who buy sexual services, in Sweden after purchasing was criminalized. Those people reported in those interviews that they were less likely to come forward with information about someone who was being forced into prostitution or being held against their will, of course with legitimate reasons; they feared they would be arrested for purchasing.

Justice committee  Thank you. I think it's important to note that I'm not a researcher of human trafficking. I'm studying the organization of the sex industry in the country. I'm looking at the health and working conditions of people involved, and I'm interested in their access to non-judgmental services.

Justice committee  Yes.

Justice committee  Some of the suggestions have already been mentioned, but in particular, I think police could have better liaison relationships with community organizations. Of course, that would include the organizations that are represented today, but also sex worker organizations in the community who come in contact with a lot of people who are looking for other services.

Justice committee  We have to realize that human trafficking is a very hidden activity. The sex industry in Canada is very hidden. When you have Criminal Code sanctions against an activity, it's very hidden. Therefore, perhaps even more hidden and in the shadows is human trafficking, and not only in Canada, but across the globe.

Justice committee  It's a little early to tell, because the law has only been enacted since 2014. I did follow-up interviews in Victoria in 2016 and 2017. I gather from the people I interviewed there, especially indigenous people, that these laws have not helped them feel safer. They have to be more hidden when they're involved in sex work because they don't want their clients to be discovered and so on.

Justice committee  Thank you. Just so that I don't miss any points, I'll read my presentation. I gather your study aims to shed light on human trafficking in Canada. Understandably, we are all interested in making sure that vulnerable people are not exploited or taken advantage of. Such criminal behaviour needs to be prevented, detected, and prosecuted.