Suzie Raymond, RCMP (Montreal)
· Human trafficking has only recently surfaced on the public consciousness—a relatively new thing to think about and discuss, and a new thing to our criminal code.
· One of the central problems is how to associate with and protect the witnesses and victims. Language is often a barrier to effective communication, and the victims can be distrustful of figures of government authority.
· To get a conviction the testimony of the victim is often essential. However, due to the issues highlighted above, getting the required evidence can be problematic.
· For a year now there has been a program in place to educate members of the RCMP and Customs and Immigration about the problem of human trafficking. This has been accompanied by efforts to educate the general public.
· Also helping sensitize the provincial and local police forces.
· Education of the general population, especially ethnic communities, is essential. This is demonstrated by the fact that the general population does not tend to look out for human trafficking in the way they do for drugs. Human trafficking has a very low profile in the public consciousness.
· So this is a long-term work. And there are not a lot of resources available.
· At the moment there are only two people for the region of Quebec dedicated to training and raising awareness on the human trafficking issue.
· Funding is also needed in terms of housing, feeding and clothing victims. Often when saved from the sex trade the women have no ‘normal’ clothing at all.
· Their housing needs to be secure as they may be in further trouble from their previous employers.
· We cannot close our eyes to this and say: “this is Canada, it does not happen.”
· Trafficking is not just about sexual slavery and prostitution. Can be working in a basement growing hydroponics—police find them and just assume they are illegal and have them deported, when in fact many may have been trafficked and forced to work there.
· Often times in other work the victims are forced to work extreme hours for very little pay. Although the sex trade is a part of it, trafficking affects men and women, adults and children.
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