Prevention of Human Trafficking

Education

An important aspect of prevention is education: making sure people are aware of the existence, as well as the nature of human trafficking.

The Government of Canada encourages, supports, and provides training on trafficking in persons to a variety of audiences. General public education is supported, for example, through anti-trafficking posters (available in 17 languages) and pamphlets (available in 14 languages) which have been distributed domestically and abroad to faith-based groups, shelters, academics, immigration centres and advocacy organizations.

Targeted education has been provided to law enforcement, border services and immigration officers. Civil society representatives have also participated in awareness raising workshops.

The RCMP, in conjunction with various federal partners including the Department of Justice Canada, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Status of Women Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, provides training to law enforcement officers including provincial and municipal police as well as border officers on trafficking in persons. The training includes information on the legislation, current investigation techniques, and how to identify potential victims. The training focuses on both domestic and international cases of human trafficking, introduces officers to the special needs of victims before they begin operations, and provides information on how to respond to victims once they are identified. The RCMP also promotes awareness of trafficking in persons to the general public through its human trafficking website.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) collaborate to provide guidance and training to immigration and border officers on identifying victims of trafficking, being sensitive to their needs, and ensuring protocols are followed. CBSA officers receive specialized training in passport and document fraud detection, intelligence collection, and the reporting and identification of inadmissible persons. New CBSA recruits receiving training in detecting trafficked persons.