Human Trafficking and Coordination:A Service Provision Protocol

M A RC H 1 4 , 2 0 1 4

Presented by:

Julie Kaye, PhDAssistant Professor of Sociology, Ambrose University CollegeResearch Advisor, ACT Alberta

Objectives

• Definitional challenges

• Problematic Criminal Code offence and restrictive measures• Coordinated response and

limitations

Image: ccrweb.ca

Human Trafficking: A Contested Definition

“I work in the Vice Unit … We haven’t seen a whole lot of human trafficking. Most of the places that we go, the women certainly aren’t being forced to stay there”

“…they all have parts of human trafficking, they all have those indicators that say [human trafficking] is happening here”

The Importance of a Realistic Understanding

“It’s easy to ignore, if you believe [human trafficking] is one thing and then you come into contact with someone [and] if you had the correct information, red flags would be going up…You’re missing potential people who are [being victimized].”

“We haven't here done any big [labour trafficking] investigations. I've got to be quite frank with you. I put a much greater value on the female victims of human trafficking in the sex trade. Twenty men from Mexico or Africa who are forced against their will to work under horrible conditions is very, very bad, but you know their lives probably aren't in danger.”

Sensational Representations: Violent Undertones

“It was much more violent than I thought. And these women are dealing with violence against women and they are so violent towards each other. It’s stunning, and I have never gotten over that.”

- Provincial Government Representative

Problematic Criminal Code Offence

“In some of the human trafficking cases, we don't lay a charge of human trafficking for various reasons … when we don’t have cooperation from victims, it makes it difficult to proceed”

Problematic Criminal Code Offence

“The definition is so unbelievably onerous, unfortunately, so onerous that we can’t lay charges to actually create the case law that defines the Criminal Code … it’s horrific. It’s one of the first real catch-22s we’ve seen in the Criminal Code”

Temporary Migrants and Insecurity

“Temporary foreign workers would choose not to file a complaint for fear of being sent home and not being able to find a job because of the nature of the work permit which is restrictive … they would rather endure it.”

- Frontline Worker

Image: ccrweb.ca

Coordinated Response

“We could be missing a lot of the picture and a lot of them are afraid of government and law enforcement. So, the social agencies are probably getting a bigger picture than the enforcement agencies.”

Coordinated Response

“The funding priorities have dictated in some ways who is involved in human trafficking and how they define trafficking. So that’s a problem … you end up with a one size fits all approach and you end up re-exploiting”

SERVICE PROVISION REFERRAL FLOWCHART

Victim is identifiedVictim is identified

Referred to ACT Alberta

Referred to ACT Alberta

CICCICLaw Enforceme

nt

Law Enforceme

nt

-Provide referrals - Case coordination + follow-up- Identify best practices and gaps- Collect data and trends-Manage Victims Assistance Fund-Provide training and technical assistance-Liaise with CIC and/or law enforcement as needed

-Provide referrals - Case coordination + follow-up- Identify best practices and gaps- Collect data and trends-Manage Victims Assistance Fund-Provide training and technical assistance-Liaise with CIC and/or law enforcement as needed

• RCMP re-engineering• Building new relationships• Addressing de-facto reporting and deportation

fears (real and perceived)• Testing protocol• Case Coordination, ACT Alberta

Current Status and Next Steps

Acknowledgements

• Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada• ACT Alberta and Mount Royal University

Continue the conversation…• Email: jkaye@ambrose.edu; julie@actalberta.org• Twitter: @mysoci• Website: julielynkaye.ca