OTTAWA,
ON, July 30, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the
Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic
Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, issued the following
statement:
"Human trafficking is a heinous crime which can have profound
and long-lasting physical, psychological, emotional, and financial
impacts on victims and survivors. On this World Day Against
Trafficking in Persons, we join countries around the world in
raising awareness to the signs and impacts of this crime and to
continue our fight against it.
This year's theme is a call to action to end child trafficking.
Our government is determined to continue to use every tool at our
disposal to prevent and combat it and empower victims and survivors
to reclaim their lives.
In 2019, the Government of Canada launched the National Strategy to
Combat Human Trafficking to strengthen Canada's response to human trafficking,
prevent and address gender-based violence, and ensure the safety of
Indigenous peoples. We are currently working on the next iteration
of the strategy, which will be informed by insights and guidance
from victims and survivors, partners, and frontline
practitioners.
Currently, almost every case of child trafficking involves the
use of the Internet. Canada, like
its international partners, is increasingly concerned about the use
of technology to facilitate human trafficking and the risk it poses
to youth. Children represent a significant proportion of
trafficking victims worldwide and, of the police-reported incidents
in Canada, almost 25 per cent of
victims are girls under 18. Traffickers use social media, messaging
services and other applications and online platforms, to begin the
process of grooming, luring and exploitation.
Understanding the signs to look for is the first step to
prevention. Public Safety Canada continues to focus on protecting
at-risk populations, especially youth, by raising awareness,
including through our national public awareness campaign, of the
different forms of human trafficking, warning signs and ways to
report suspected incidences. I encourage all Canadians to join
the fight against this crime by learning about the signs and risks
of human trafficking, and empowering others to do the same.
On this International Day of Awareness, we reaffirm our
commitment to combatting this heinous crime."
Related links:
- What is Human Trafficking? Learn what to look for
- National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking
- Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline
- United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada