Human trafficking a growing concern in Canada, says I-Week speaker
Kaitlyn Grant
Gateway Writer
Feb 04, 2012
An International Week talk held on Friday entitled the “Coalition Building to Combat Human Trafficking” introduced attendees to Canada’s role as a location and source in the trafficking of persons for money and forced labour.
Andrea Burkhart of the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking Association asked a packed room for their thoughts on human trafficking in Canada. A discussion began as Burkhart used facts and YouTube videos to inform the audience about human trafficking’s impact in Canada.
Burkhart explained that human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry, as reported by the United Nations. Human trafficking can take on a variety of forms, making it difficult to recognize.
“In reporting trafficking, we need to know what it is and how to recognize it,” Burkhart said.
She showed awareness videos that portrayed these various forms, including the UN’s Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (GIFT) video “Open Your Eyes to Human Trafficking.”
While the Criminal Code of Canada prohibits human trafficking, a U.S. state report deemed Canada as “a source, destination, and transit point for trafficking.” The crime is underreported and, in the international market, has an annual worth of $42.5 billion.
Burkhart urged the audience to take something away besides the harsh facts from the session.
“That’s the beautiful thing about International Week … it teaches us to think critically,” Burkhart said.
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