What is human trafficking?
Human trafficking in Canada involves the sexual exploitation and forced labour of a diverse array of victims: Canadian citizens and newcomers, adults and children, women and men.
In 2000 a United Nations conference in Palermo, Italy, established a common definition of human trafficking in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons. The Palermo Protocol has widespread international support, with 117 signatories, including Canada.
Under the Protocol, human trafficking occurs:
- when an individual recruits, transports, transfers, harbours or receives people;
- by means of deception, fraud, coercion, abuse of power, payment to others in control of the victim, threats of force, use of force or abduction;
- for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced labour/services, removal of organs, servitude, slavery or practices similar to slavery.
Why is Human trafficking called slavery?
Under international law, slavery is defined as “the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised.” More simply, slavery exists when individuals are sold, traded, used, abused, and disposed.
Invisible Chains documents cases in Canada where girls and women are coerced, deceived or threatened into the sex trade. Many are bought and sold like cattle to ‘pimps’ or ‘boyfriends’ who lie, threaten and deceive them. The book also documents cases of international workers recruited to Canada, stripped of their passport and forced to work for virtually nothing either to pay for an inflated debt or out of fear. The experience of these victims clearly meets the definition of slavery.
