Hot Issues Note - Human Trafficking

Date: 2021/03/30
Classification: Unclassified
Contract and Indigenous Policing

RCMP speaking points

The extent of human trafficking is difficult to assess due to the clandestine nature of these offences and the reluctance of victims and witnesses to come forward to law enforcement.Note – Sujet chaud traite de personnes

The RCMP remains committed to supporting national and local efforts to effectively combat human trafficking by investigating, disrupting and bringing to justice those who are involved in this crime.
The RCMP National Human Trafficking Section (NHTS) centrally facilitates the RCMP’s efforts in countering Human Trafficking through awareness, education and community outreach, as well as building and enhancing partnerships, supporting operations, and advancing operational policy and internal / external reporting.
The RCMP supports the Government of Canada's National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking and remains committed to addressing human trafficking in collaboration with federal and provincial governments and agencies, NGOs and law enforcement partners.

How are human trafficking cases tracked in Canada?

There is no centralized tracking of human trafficking cases at the RCMP.
Human trafficking crimes fall within the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey. All police agencies in Canada use the UCR survey when recording offences that are entered into records management systems.
This data, once verified by the originating police agency, is sent to Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada takes this information and issues Juristat publications, which provide in-depth analysis and detailed statistics on a variety of topics and issues related to justice and public safety. For police-reported data about human trafficking, please contact the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics at Statistics Canada.

Considering the clandestine nature of human trafficking, how does the RCMP learn of potential cases to investigate?

To investigate human trafficking cases, law enforcement uses information from various sources, including:
awareness or outreach initiatives conducted by law enforcement;
public reports on suspicious activities, including reports of missing persons or children to police;
government agencies and non-government organizations (i.e. working at ports of entry or dealing with health and social services);
international agencies working in partnership to combat human trafficking;
victims escaping from traffickers; and
other law enforcement agencies conducting criminal investigations.

What is the National Human Trafficking Section doing to promote knowledge and awareness of human trafficking?

NHTS is conducting a national environmental scan, which will identify trends, gaps, needs and best practices related to human trafficking investigations and awareness.
All RCMP divisions and major Canadian police forces are being consulted.
The first phase of the scan (RCMP HT file review) has recently been completed. This scan will remain ongoing into the upcoming fiscal year.
Furthermore, NHTS is working on updating the RCMP’s human trafficking awareness products for at-risk communities, including Indigenous Peoples, youth, and LGBTQ2+ communities.

What is the National Human Trafficking Section doing to support complaints from individuals about Pornhub/MindGeek?

Investigating human trafficking crimes falls under the mandate of the local police of jurisdiction where the criminal activity takes place.
If NHTS were to receive a formal complaint from anyone regarding Pornhub, it would be passed on to the police of jurisdiction. The police of jurisdiction would investigate the human trafficking complaint and would connect victims with local NGOs or victim services providers who, in turn, provide assistance. Other services available to victims include health care, emergency housing and social, legal and immigration assistance.
NHTS does not conduct investigations, but rather acts as a policy centre and educates on human trafficking through awareness.

Human trafficking is a criminal offence under several sections of the Criminal Code. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act also contains several provisions against cross-border trafficking.
Investigating human trafficking complaints from Pornhub/MindGeek is challenging. Given that these companies’ servers are in another country, the RCMP does not have jurisdiction to take action. As such, the RCMP collaborates with domestic and international partners to ensure a coordinated approach to detecting, investigating and combatting human trafficking.
Canadian police services also continue to work together to coordinate human trafficking investigations. Integrated resources, information sharing and community partnerships are critical to law enforcement’s effective response to this type of crime.

Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation or harbouring of persons, or the control of their movements, for the purpose of exploitation, typically sexual exploitation or forced labour. The RCMP is aware that human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is prevalent in Canada.
Anyone can become a victim of human trafficking. However, individuals at risk of victimization more generally include persons who are socially or economically disadvantaged, such as Indigenous women and girls, LGBTQ2+ persons, youth, migrants, new immigrants, teenage runaways and children who are in protection.
Human trafficking does not require the crossing of borders or any movement at all. Exploitation, as defined by the Criminal Code, is the key element of the offence (when a victim is caused to engage in certain activities because they fear for their safety or the safety of someone they know.).
Domestic human trafficking is when all stages of the crime occur in Canada; there are no international cross-border movements. International human trafficking is when the victim who, in the process of being trafficked into or out of Canada, crossed an international border.