Lily s Life growing up in Burma was hard. Not only did my family live in grinding poverty, but my father physically and verbally abused my mother, brothers and me. I longed for a new life. Sometimes, if business was slow, they would make me take drugs across the city in a backpack. I was terrified that I would be stopped by a police officer, but I never was. When I was 15, I learned about a local man who smuggled people across the border to Thailand for a fee. I leapt at the chance. I felt certain my life would be better once I was away from my father. I had a few dollars saved up and the smuggler told me I could pay off the rest by working at a brothel in Bangkok. One night, police raided the massage parlour and found me. I told the detectives my and they connected me with a local women s shelter. The shelter called ACT Alberta and ACT arranged for a bus ticket to Edmonton so I could escape the reach of the gang. ACT Alberta connected me with immigration authorities and advocated for a Temporary Resident Permit for me. They also arranged for shelter and healthcare. My hearing with Citizenship and Immigration Canada is next week I am keeping my fingers crossed that I won t be deported back to Thailand. I didn t think it would be as hard as it was. I soon started using heroin to make the hours more bearable. The months turned into years. One of my regulars, Aun, told me I could make ten times what I was making if I went to Canada. Aun told me he had friends who could help me get established. He said I would be safe and that Canadians were kind and welcoming to migrants. Aun arranged for a fake passport and plane ticket for me and connected me with his friends in Fort McMurray. Soon after I arrived, one of them took me to a government office to apply as a refugee. I felt like I was finally free. However, I soon began to be beaten and sexually assaulted by Aun s friends. When I complained, I was told my refugee application had been rejected and I would be deported if I complained to authorities. I was forced to engage in risky sexual activities in the massage parlour they owned. Not only was I not allowed to choose any of my clients but they refused to teach me any English and I never saw any of the money I made.
Brittney s I used to hate living at home. As a child, it seemed like my mom would bring home a different guy every week and some of them were awful to me. To make up for her boyfriends, she used to take my sister and me out for ice cream I learned young that my affection was something that could be bought. When I was about 14 I met Tyler online. He seemed nice and interesting. We met up at a park in the city and he became my boyfriend. It was great at first being with Tyler made me feel less lonely and it gave me something to look forward to every day. His friends became my friends and I soon ran away from home to live with him. Tyler explained to me that I needed to start bringing in some money to help pay for the expenses. That s when things changed. He started putting up ads for me on Backpage.com. He forced me to have sex with the guys who responded to the ad in hotels across the city. I would do it so he wouldn t get angry and hit me. He also started staying out late with his friends I never knew what they were doing and soon I was too scared to ask him anything. A few weeks later, Tyler got arrested. Angie had gone to the police after Tyler had raped her. I was glad that he got arrested I felt like I was in an endless spiral of pain and had been contemplating suicide for several weeks. The police arranged for me to go to a shelter for victims of domestic violence and the shelter put me in touch with ACT Alberta. I had never considered before that I might have been trafficked. I m scared Tyler s friends might find me and tell him where I am. ACT Alberta has said they will help get me out of the city so that I don t have to feel like I constantly need to look over my shoulder. They re also helping to pay for my trauma counseling so that I can begin to truly move on with my life. I wanted to stop. Tyler told me that I wouldn t have to see so many clients if I could find him another girl to make up for it. I brought him Angie, a friend from Facebook. I told her she could make a lot of money working for Tyler, and she believed me.
Karly s I always remember things being hard, but I didn t know how bad things could get until I turned 12. That was the year that my mom committed suicide and I was placed into care. I started being shuffled around group homes there was a lot of drug use in the homes, and it wasn t long before I started doing sexual favours in return for drugs or gifts. When I was fifteen I met Luke. He lived near my group home and seemed to really get what I was going through. He was 24 and he knew all about what it was like to be on your own. He started buying me presents and he let me sleep on his couch. It was nice to feel loved. But after a few months, he started putting pressure on me to turn tricks to pay him back. If I didn t bring home enough money, he would accuse me of stealing from him and would hit me. Although I loved Luke more than anyone I d ever known, I got really scared the day he broke my nose. I started talking to other guys online. That was how I met Max. He felt bad for me and invited me to stay with him in Calgary. He was fun and we did a lot of drugs together. He convinced me to start stripping to help pay for the meth. Within a few weeks, I was selling my body to make more money. In return for my earnings, Max let me sleep at his place and gave me all the drugs I wanted. But I tried not to come home without my quota if I didn t bring home enough money he would do worse things to me than break my nose. One night one of my dates ran out without paying. When I told Max what had happened, he beat me until I was unconscious and left me in an alley where the police found me. Through the Calgary Police Department I was put in touch with ACT Alberta. They helped me get access to income support and arranged safe shelter and trauma treatment. They also arranged for me to get help with my addictions. I m 22 now, and I ve finally gotten my high school diploma. I still struggle with my addictions, but I m enrolled in a social work program in the fall and feel for the first time like things might turn out okay.
Stas s Crowded in the back of a van heading north of Edmonton with seven other men, I knew I faced another unpaid day cleaning at a mink farm. The eight of us came to Canada on the promise of $25/ hour jobs, plus overtime, food and lodging. We were hired to build two oil processing plants in the oil sands. we were transported three hours north of Edmonton to our new home a filthy, abandoned farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. I sold everything I owned and borrowed at loan-shark rates to get the $12,000 required to pay the recruiter and buy a plane ticket. What I and the others didn t know was that the contract had been cancelled and there was no work for us. When we arrived in Canada, we were met by someone from the recruitment agency who demanded our passports and work permits. He also took our cell phones and warned us not to try to contact anyone. Half of us were pressed into working and cleaning at the mink farm while the others dug ditches or picked up garbage around a large rural estate. Living conditions were horrible: dirty mattresses, no food, and total isolation. My first week in Canada was spent with the other men in the basement of a Calgary house, sleeping four to a bed and wondering what was to become of us. Then We were constantly threatened with deportation and did every menial job asked of us. None of the work involved welding or plumbing (the trades we were recruited for) and we were never paid our wages. After many complaints, we would sometimes receive some meager pay, always in cash. We eventually fled to a local RCMP detachment and were referred on to ACT Alberta. ACT Alberta advocated on our behalf and helped some of us receive official Temporary Foreign Worker status, enabling us to work in the province. They supported us by connecting us with the necessary services including a translator and housing. Not all of us were so lucky. Three of my friends were deported back to Moldova and barred by immigration authorities from entering Canada for several years. I heard rumours that the traffickers punished them for drawing the attention of law enforcement in Canada. They weren t afraid to use violence against us in Alberta, and I know they were well connected back home too.
Joyce s I grew up in a middle-class family in a city in northern China. A few years ago, one of my uncles, newly returned from a trip abroad, asked me if I was interested in moving to Canada to be a nanny. I knew about the Live-in Caregiver program because a childhood friend had immigrated to Canada as a nanny several years prior. I excitedly said yes. My uncle arranged for all the required courses, helped me complete all the paperwork, and connected me with a potential employer. As soon as I received my contract and Work Permit, I was on my way to Alberta. The work was harder than I had expected. My responsibilities in the household slowly grew heavier and heavier. Within a couple of months, I was required to nanny both young children, cook all the meals and snacks, provide housekeeping services, and do all the laundry. Eventually, I was working 14 hour days and completing all the household chores. When I approached the man of the household for my wages, he raped me. After two years, I just couldn t take it anymore. Late one night, in a state of total fear, I escaped out the back door. I made my way to a downtown pay phone and called the police. They connected me with ACT Alberta while they investigated the family who had abused me for so long. ACT Alberta worked with me to get the services I needed, including support from a sexual assault clinic and health care. They also supported me throughout the process of laying charges against my employer and helped to guide me through the process of applying to stay in Canada. I couldn t afford trauma counselling although I was in desperate need of it, so ACT Alberta paid my therapy fees. Although I know I have a long road ahead of me, I am finally working through my trauma and pain. I lived in this home for two years without being paid and in a constant state of oppression. I was prevented from speaking to anyone outside the family and was not allowed access to a TV or computer. Once a month, they supervised me while I made a short phone call to my mother, where I always told her that things were fine and that I was being paid well. My employers kept my documents and made me sleep on a cot in the kitchen. Over and above the exhausting manual labour, I was raped on a regular basis by my employer. I was living a nightmare.
Marco s Despite working very hard in my hometown in the Philippines, I was unable to make ends meet financially and debt mounted for me and my family. When my cousin gave me the name of a recruiter who offered me a high paying job as a chef in Sherwood Park, it sounded like my chance to get us out of debt and provide us a better life. For $10,000, the recruiter promised to take care of everything. I couldn t afford the fee but the recruiter told me I could pay once I started working in Canada. When I arrived in Sherwood Park, I found out the restaurant I was contracted to work for couldn t give me a job. I was told my only chance to stay in Canada was to begin working for a cleaning company that could employ me as a janitor. I was soon put to work for 14 hour days doing exhausting manual labour. I was regularly insulted and slapped by the company owner. At night, I had no other choice but to sleep in the company van. When I eventually approached the owner for my earnings, I was told my wages would be withheld until my recruitment fees were paid. The owner also told me to my surprise that I was working illegally since my work visa was only valid for the company I was contracted with. I would be immediately deported if I complained. Sometimes my boss made me deliver suitcases around the city for him. I was certain that they contained drugs, but when I told him I didn t want to do it he had me beaten with a steel rod. I m sure his thugs broke a rib it hurts to breathe to this day. I didn t complain about working after that. Weeks turned into months. As I had no money, I regularly went hungry and the long days exhausted me. One day I passed out from fatigue and hunger. I was taken to the emergency room of a hospital in Edmonton. The nurse who attended me had recently attended an education session on human trafficking by ACT Alberta. She recognized the signs of exploitation and asked if I wanted help. In desperation, I told her my and she connected me with ACT. ACT Alberta was able to advocate for my immigration status in Canada. Through their assistance, I received an open work permit. They connected me with the Food Bank, arranged for long-term housing, and supported me during my transition period. I now have Permanent Residency status in Canada and have been able to bring over my wife and two sons to live with me in Edmonton.
Ranya s I always knew that one day I would leave Bangladesh. When I turned 18, my parents arranged a marriage to a Bangladeshi-Canadian man. I spent the plane ride imagining my new life and thinking how exciting it would be to show my sisters around when they came to visit. Ashik, my new husband, met me at the airport. I was relieved that he looked exactly like his picture young and handsome. After we arrived at my new home, I started talking excitedly about the nice kitchen and my sisters but he cut me off quickly, telling me that I would be working for him in his massage clinic, not lazing around the house. Ashik told me that the law in Canada says that when a woman comes to live with her husband she has to help him. He was helping me by giving me a home and I would help him by cleaning and giving massages. However, I soon found out that Ashik s massage clinic was really a brothel run out of a dingy motel. Shocked, I refused to be involved. Ashik took my passport and worked me very hard. After a few months of abuse, I fell ill and he had to take me to the hospital. One of the nurses was suspicious about my condition I was young, pregnant, scared, and couldn t speak any English. Ashik never left my side and answered everything on my behalf. The nurse, believing something to be very wrong, called police. After many questions, they referred me to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and called ACT Alberta. ACT Alberta was my advocate. They applied for a Temporary Resident Permit on my behalf and arranged for me to be supported while police investigated Ashik and his massage clinic. Despite the support of ACT Alberta, I felt isolated and longed for the social supports of my family and home. ACT Alberta helped pay for my plane ticket back to Bangladesh. Ashik grew very angry and threatened to turn me over to the authorities. I was confused. What could the authorities do to me? I was in Canada legally, wasn t I? Ashik told me that he would tell immigration authorities that our marriage was fraudulent and they would immediately arrest and deport me. He knew the system and had nothing to fear, since he was born in Canada. I couldn t bear to think of the disgrace that would come to my family if I went to jail and of their shame when they learned what Ashik was forcing me to do. I was scared and alone, and felt I had no other choice but to comply.
Dinesh s I came to Canada as a temporary foreign worker three years ago to be a cook at restaurant in Lethbridge. The agreement I signed before leaving India was very promising I was told I would receive room and board and a fair hourly wage. However, the reality did not match my expectations. My promised accommodation was a two bedroom apartment that I was forced to share with eight other workers. We lived out of our suitcases and put up bed sheets in an attempt at privacy. I had agreed to a 40-hour work week at a specified hourly rate. However, on arrival I was told to accept a salary package instead of the hourly wage. This meant unpaid hours and overtime that soon stretched to 15 hour workdays, six days a week. On my one day off each week, my employer always called just to say hello. I quickly realized that he was actually monitoring me, wanting to know what I was doing and who with. My employer told me to hand over my passport and visa documents so that he could keep them safe. Now I had no ability to prove who I was or how I crossed the border. When I was promoted to supervisor, my duties increased but my pay stayed the same. I learned that despite being a supervisor, I was making $2 less than a newly hired, part-time staff member. When I wanted to move to another apartment, my boss extended my hours to ensure buses were not running by the time I was done my shift. When I was injured on the job, I was told not to inform the Workers Compensation Board. I felt very isolated. It is oppressive to remain silent when you are being abused and exploited. People ask me why I didn t complain to the authorities, but I feared deportation if I spoke out. My employer also broke down my spirit by verbally abusing me and threatening to have me and my family hurt. Then I learned about ACT Alberta. I called the number on their website and told them my. ACT was able to advocate for my immigration status and helped me secure an open work permit. They arranged to get my documents back and found me safe shelter. Through their support and connections, I no longer feel isolated. They helped pay for the counseling I needed to cope with my depression. I have been able to send money back to my family and pursue the hopes that brought me to Canada in the first place.
Bethany s My name is Bethany. I grew up in a bad neighborhood in Calgary. I don t think I can remember a time when my father wasn t drunk. He used to beat my mother and he enjoyed finding ways to humiliate us. We lived in poverty and struggled to meet our basic needs. My mother sunk into a deep depression and turned a blind eye to the abuse and the squalor. When I was 11, she simply left without a word. My father s abuse got worse without my mother there. I preferred the streets to his drunken insults and violence. Now, I am 20 and the streets are my home. Last year, I met a couple of guys at a bus shelter who asked if I wanted to party. We started doing a lot of drugs together pretty regularly, which they always provided. After a few weeks, they started demanding money from me they said I owed them for the drugs, but the debt was far beyond anything they ever gave me. I was already selling my body when I needed to in order to feed my drug and alcohol addictions. Soon I was giving them almost everything I made, but it was never enough. They were well connected on the streets and it seemed like no matter where I went, they always turned up and demanded money. If I didn t give them enough, they would beat me. They said they belonged to a gang and that if I tried to make a run for it they would track me down and kill me. I believed them. I started working the streets harder than ever, even having unprotected sex with johns I didn t feel safe with in order to make more money and pay these guys what they demanded. I started to get worried that I d gotten an STI and went to a local clinic to get it checked out. The nurse saw my bruises and asked if I was okay. I didn t trust her, but I didn t know where else to turn. In desperation, I told her my. She connected me with ACT Alberta. ACT told me that what I experienced was exploitation and human trafficking. They connected me to a secure women s shelter and arranged for me to have job skills training. I still couldn t sleep at night I knew I needed counselling but also knew I couldn t possibly afford the $180/hour rates. When I told the staff at ACT, they paid the therapy costs. I finally feel like I am on the road to recovery.
Juan s A year ago, I came to Edmonton for the wedding of a close friend whom I had not seen in several years. It was a good time for me to come, since I had just been laid off and the job market was very poor in my hometown in Mexico. I was impressed with the standard of living in Canada and I starting inquiring about the process of staying to work. I did not have strong English skills, but a Spanish speaking friend put me in touch with Bernard, a local job recruiter. Bernard seemed to know everything about finding work in Canada. When I asked about work visas, he told me that he would take care of the application and assured me that it was legal to work while the paperwork was being processed. Two days later I started to work as a dishwasher in a busy local restaurant. The owner told me that I had to sleep in the kitchen pantry until I saved up enough to rent an apartment. I was soon working 12 hour days, six days a week. The restaurant owner and the other staff members verbally harassed and insulted me, and were sometimes physically violent. The only bathrooms available were those in the restaurant, so I was unable to shower or stay properly clean. When I asked for my pay after several weeks, the restaurant owner told me it was being withheld to cover the costs of my application fees and accommodation. Stunned, I was also told I was working illegally and that if I complained I would be deported. I didn t know what to do. I had already spent all my savings getting to Edmonton and dreaded deportation back to Mexico. I became deeply depressed. After several months, I felt I had no choice but to flee from my employer and complain to the Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office. However, because I had entered Canada as a visitor, I was not eligible to receive a work permit. The TFWAO referred me to ACT Alberta. In addition to supporting me with a translator, ACT Alberta set me up with short-term housing, connected me to the Food Bank, and coordinated a meeting with Employment Standards. Although I was unable to stay in Canada, thanks to the efforts of ACT Alberta I was able to tell my and ensure my former employer is no longer able to exploit vulnerable foreigners. I am now home with my family even though my experience in Canada didn t improve our standard of living, it helped me recognize what I do have.
Mona s As a teenager, I longed to get away from the political unrest of my home country, Bolivia, and mark out my own path in life. Luis, a family friend, offered me a job as a nanny for some connections of his who lived in Red Deer. Luis told me that it made the most sense to enter Canada on a visitor visa my new employers would help me with the formal immigration process once I arrived. My family and I trusted Luis completely and so I left within a few short weeks. Things didn t go as I d expected. During the day I provided nanny services for my new employers, Beth and Joe, but at night they forced me to solicit clients on the Internet and provide sexual services out of their home. They took all of my documents and said I had to pay $4000 to get them back. Not only did they refuse to help me apply for a work visa, but they threatened to have me deported if I didn t comply with their demands. My days and nights were exhausting and humiliating. When I complained they threatened to use their connections in Bolivia to hurt my family. I tried to escape once and they arranged for my sister to be assaulted back home. My guilt over that was overwhelming. I lived in constant fear and torment. After two years, a neighbour reported the suspicious activity happening next door to the police. The police raided the home and arrested Beth and Joe. Although there wasn t enough evidence to lay human trafficking charges, they did identify it as a human trafficking case to ACT Alberta. ACT Alberta found me a shelter where I stayed for a month. They also connected me with an employment program and arranged to pay for trauma counselling which I could have never afforded on my own. The police never did find any of my documents ACT Alberta had to coordinate with the Bolivian embassy to have replacements sent. ACT also helped me obtain a Temporary Resident Permit so I could stay in Canada. My immigration status is still precarious, which affects my ability to work legally in Canada. The TRP that I was given is only valid for six months at a time and needs to be renewed continuously. I am also suffering from ongoing mental health issues as a result of my trauma. I continue to receive support from a number of social agencies for counselling, immigration and health care.