TRAFFICKING LEARNING OBJECTIVES: TRAFFICKING DEFINED: Module 16

Transcription

1 Module 16 TRAFFICKING Similarities exist between the services provided to victims of domestic violence and victims of trafficking. Yet there are also some significant differences between the two groups. A trafficked woman may have special needs that require assistance from and referral to a broad range of resources beyond a domestic shelter s typical service area. In Canada, the issue of trafficking of women and girls is a new issue and shelters in the future may be increasingly called upon to provide services for these individuals. The Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (2007) recommended that shelter staff be aware of the issues of trafficking in women and girls. It was recommended that shelters receive training about the causes of trafficking especially the issues of poverty and gender inequality. It is possible that shelter staff may come into contact with women and or girls that have been trafficked. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: -To become aware of the issue of trafficking of women and children -To gain knowledge about supporting women impacted by trafficking TRAFFICKING DEFINED: Trafficking in human beings is an international crime and an undesirable consequence of globalization that results in billions of dollars annually in profits. Trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is the industry s main activity. In 2000, the United Nations acknowledged the magnitude of this criminal activity with the creation of a protocol to combat the problem. Trafficking in persons" shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (United Nations, 2000). Status of Women, Canada defines trafficking in women as the exploitation of women for their labour or services with or without pay and with or without their consent by a person or group of people with whom the particular woman is in an unequal power relationship. Trafficking in women can be abduction, include the use of force, fraud, deception or violence and results in cross border movement of women between countries differentiated by economic inequality. One of the main consequences of trafficking is the legal or illegal immigration of women to Canada and the violation of their human rights. The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women defines trafficking as (a)ll acts and attempted acts involved in the recruitment, transportation within or across borders, purchase, sale, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a person involving the use of deception and coercion including the use of threat of force or the abuse of authority or debt bondage for the purpose of placing or holding such person, whether for pay or not, in involuntary servitude (domestic, sexual or reproductive), in forced or bonded labour, or in slave-like conditions, in a community other than the one in which such person lived at the time of the original deception, coercion or debt bondage.

2 Trafficking primarily involves women but may also include children as well as men. Men are primarily trafficked for the purpose of cheap or free labour. SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM IN CANADA: Canada is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour. Women and children are trafficked primarily from Asia and Eastern Europe for sexual exploitation, but victims from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean have also been identified in Canada. Asian victims tend to be trafficked more frequently to Vancouver and Western Canada, while Eastern European and Latin American victims are trafficked more often to Eastern Canada. Canada is a source country for sex tourism and NGOs report that Canada is also a destination country, particularly for sex tourists from the United States. Canadian girls and women, many of whom are of aboriginal descent, are trafficked internally for commercial sexual exploitation. NGOS report that Canada is a destination for foreign victims trafficked for labour exploitation; many of these individuals come into Canada legally but are then unlawfully exploited as agriculture and domestic labourer. Statistics regarding the number of individuals trafficked in Canada is difficult to determine. It is estimated that between 1500 and 2200 individuals are trafficked from Canada into the United States annually (Barnett, 2008). The RCMP estimate that 600 women and children are trafficked into Canada each year for the purpose of sexual exploitation and that number increases to 800 when those trafficked for forced labour are included (RCMP, 2004). Globally, trafficking involves the movement of people from poor, economically disadvantaged countries to Western industrialized countries. The majority of individuals that are trafficked into Canada are forced to work in the sex trade and to a lesser degree individuals are trafficked for forced labour or to engage in illegal activities like drug trafficking. Trafficked individuals in Canada are usually discovered through police raids or when victims seek assistance. Women who have been trafficked are at an increased risk for variety of physical and mental health difficulties. Victims are often vulnerable, young, single, have minimal education, come from poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Many are unable to or are afraid to seek legal assistance because of their abusive situations, fear of retaliation, language barriers or fears of deportation or criminal charges. Trafficking in women and children occurs as a result of the inequalities in the world. Countries that experience extreme poverty, unemployment, lack of education, inadequate social programs, genderbased inequality, experience war and conflict and political unrest are the countries of origin. Countries that have a globalized economy with an increased demand for cheap labour, tend to be the destination countries. Trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation will continue as long as men can buy, sell and sexually exploit women and children forcing them into prostitution. 09/10/2009 2

3 TRAFFICKING OF ABORIGINAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN CANADA In Canada, a growing issue is the trafficking of Aboriginal women and girls. Five hundred aboriginal women and girls have gone missing over the past thirty years (Amnesty International, 2004). Domestic sex trafficking of Aboriginal girls in Canada has various forms. It may be familial based that is family members forcing others members to take part in the sex trade. For example, Lynn (2005) points out that in the North there are communities where First Nations females are sexually exploited and initiated into prostitution by relatives. In a study by Sethi (2007), respondents identified familial based sex-trafficking as driven by poverty and by the intergenerational impact of colonization and residential schools. Sethi found that organized gang related activities also contributed to trafficking of Aboriginal girls as well as escort services and massage parlours. Key informants in Sethi s study indicated that the movement of trafficked Aboriginal girls follows a pattern of city triangles across different provinces in Canada. For example, in Saskatoon girls are moved in triangles such as Saskatoon Edmonton Calgary. Once girls are trafficked into Calgary, the triangle is Calgary- Edmonton-Vancouver. According to Sethi, coercion and deception are the methods utilized to force Aboriginal girls into sex trafficking. Sethi identifies the following recruitment methods: Airports- traffickers often know someone in communities who informs them about the plans of young women to move to the city from northern communities. When the young women arrive at the airport, traffickers entice them by offering them a place to stay or access to resources. Schools- in larger centres with high concentrations of Aboriginal people, traffickers are increasingly targeting schools as recruiting grounds. Bars Traffickers frequent bars and befriend young aboriginal women offering to buy them a drink and to help connect them with other Aboriginal individuals. Boyfriends In many situations, traffickers pose as boyfriends and seduce young women by buying them gifts and by emotionally manipulating them, Other girls as recruiters- Trafficked girls are often used to recruit other girls. The girls doing the recruiting are often forced to do so in order to maintain their survival needs. This sets up a hierarchical relationship between the girls. Dancers Aboriginal girls recruited as dancers are frequently moved across provinces and gradually lose contact with their families and communities resulting in them becoming more vulnerable for sexual exploitation. Internet- Traffickers are increasingly utilizing the internet as a means to lure young Aboriginal girls especially in rural communities promising them a better way of life in the big cities. Once the girls are in the cities they are trafficked into the sex trade. 09/10/2009 3

4 Hitchhiking- Because Aboriginal youth often live in isolated areas with poor transportation resources, they resort to hitchhiking as a means of getting to the larger centres. In doing so, they are vulnerable to be picked up by traffickers. SHELTERS PROVIDING SUPPORT TO WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING: Shelter staff may face unique challenges when assisting and advocating for victims of trafficking. These challenges include language barriers, cultural differences, complex legal needs and much longer-term support and advocacy. What is known about Victim s characteristics (taken from A Safe Place Orientation Manual Pat Vargas Executive Director): She may be between 20 and 40 years of age Her story may be confusing, unclear, convoluted, with missing parts. Her story may not make sense to you She may be quiet, withdrawn, reluctant to talk with anybody She may not have identification papers with her or she may deny every having identification She may be unsure of her status in Canada She will be isolated; usually without family or any other supports She may mention a boyfriend that is associated with a gang. It is important to focus on the effects that trafficking has on individuals, especially their fears and sense of isolation. If an individual does want to pursue charging the people responsible for trafficking she will require a lot of support to go through the process. It may be helpful to connect her with a lawyer who is familiar with issues related to trafficking. A THREAD FOR YOUR TAPESTRY OF INTERVENTIONS Special considerations for shelters when working with women that have been trafficked (adapted from Human Trafficking Service Provider Training Manual for Certified Domestic Violence Centres; Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2004). Safety planning will take on added complexity for victims of trafficking because these women may face danger from organized crime or an extensive trafficking organization. Traffickers may threaten the trafficked individual s family in their country of origin and these threats often impact the decisions made by the trafficked individual. 09/10/2009 4

5 Mental Health/trauma: Victims of trafficking may face mental health issues that may be different from women that have experienced domestic violence and may be more similar to victims of torture. Victims of trafficking may not want to access mental health services immediately but it is important to provide referral information if and when they are ready to access such services. For some women there may be greater stigma to receiving mental health services due to cultural issues. Participation in domestic violence shelter activities: Trafficking victims may never have assimilated into the local community or Canadian society. Because of this lack of assimilation as well as possible language barriers, it may be difficult for victims of trafficking to participate in some of the required activities of shelter communal living including group meals and attending support groups. Interpretation needs: Victims of trafficking often require interpreters and frequently interpreters that speak specific dialogues within a spoken language. More intensive case management: Trafficking victims often need intensive case management and advocacy for longer periods of time in order to assist them with immigration issues, possible federal prosecution of the trafficker, accessing special benefits. A victim of trafficking may feel that she is required to do more than her fair share of the chores in a shelter. It is important to be aware of this dynamic and ensure that this dynamic does not occur. Shelters need to establish working relationships with ethnic serving agencies as well as ethnic communities in order to work collaboratively to serve these women. It is important to also realize that traffickers are often from these same ethnic communities. Victims of trafficking may be eligible for specific benefits. ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING In 2004, the Canadian government introduced an organized endeavour to target trafficking at a national level by establishing a new federal agency, the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking led by the Foreign Affairs and Justice Departments to coordinate the work of 14 government agencies and to develop a national strategy against human trafficking. In September 2005, the RCMP created the Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre to provide assistance to field investigators and to work on education and awareness campaigns. In June of 2007, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced changes to the guidelines for immigration officers to protect and assist individuals who become victims of trafficking in Canada. The guidelines are designed to assist victims to escape the influence of their traffickers and to recover from their experience. Victims of trafficking are eligible for a 180 day temporary resident permit (TRP). Victims also have the option to apply for a work permit and there is no fee for either the initial TRP or the initial work permit. Depending on individual circumstances, TRPs can be renewed at the end of the 180 day period. 09/10/2009 5

6 Victims of trafficking are eligible for health care benefits and trauma counselling under the Interim Federal Health Program. In Canada, victims of trafficking are not required to testify against their trafficker in order to gain temporary to permanent resident status. Immigration officers at local CIC offices interview potential victims to determine if they are eligible for the permit. If the TRP is issued, the officers will assist the victim to make the first contact with the appropriate resources including the embassy of their home country, provincial or municipal resources that assist trafficked individuals. The immigration officers will also assist the individuals to access health benefits and counselling support. Individuals who receive the temporary permit can also apply for a work permit at the same time. Victims of trafficking may require a short term TRP for the following reasons: To assist them to escape the influence of the trafficker To assist them to recover from trauma (both counselling and medical assistance may be necessary.) To provide a period of time for reflection so that they have time to decide if they want to return to their home country or assist in the investigation and prosecution of the traffickers The work permit allows victims to work in Canada while they assess their options Victims of trafficking are asked to visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada office nearest them. To locate the closest Citizenship and Immigration Canada office call Information summarized from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website: REFERENCES: Barnett, L. (2008). Trafficking in persons. Library of parliament. Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Department of Justice, Canada. Victims of trafficking in persons: Perspectives from the Canadian community sector Department of Justice, Canada Don t become a victim in the illegal trade in persons available on line in 14 languages. Global Alliance Against Trafficking Humantrafficking.org. Human trafficking service provider training manual for certified domestic violence centres; Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2004). 09/10/2009 6

7 Sethi, A. (2007). Domestic sex trafficking of aboriginal girls in Canada: Issues and implications. A Journal on Innovation and Best Practices in Aboriginal Child Welfare: Administration, Research, Policy & Practice, Vol. 3, No. 3 pp Safeplace Orientation Manual; Pat Vargas; Sherwood Park, Alberta Stewart, E. & Gajic-Veljanoski O. (2005). Trafficking in women: the Canadian perspective. Univerity of Toronto. Turning outrage into action to address trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Canada. (2007). Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Yasmin Ratansi, MP Chair. United Nations (2000). Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. 09/10/2009 7