It is almost impossible to know definitively just how many men, women, and children are victims of international human trafficking. Current conservative estimates place the number at somewhere near 20.9 million. Of the 20.9 million, women and girls make up anywhere from 60 to 80 per cent of all victims, 98 per cent of whom suffer due to sexual exploitation. The number of people involved as both victims, accomplices, and perpetrators grows every year. According to Stop the Traffik, a human rights advocacy group, the human trafficking network is the second most lucrative illegal trade after drugs.
On Oct. 22, 2015, after an international collaboration between the FBI, the RCMP, and 40 different police services across Canada, dozens of people have been charged with 137 offences related to human trafficking. Representatives from the collaboration held a news conference in Vaughan, Ontario, on Oct. 22.
In addition to the 47 arrests made, forces secured the safety of 20 minors who had been working in the sex trade against their will. Most of the victims recovered were young females aged 14. The charges laid in the investigation include trafficking in persons, forcible confinement, creating child pornography with intent to distribute, intent to possess child pornography, unlawful possession of child pornography, and sexual assault with a weapon.
The genesis of Operation Northern Spotlight traces back to last year. In early 2014, the FBI reached out to share information and work together with Canadian police services in order to better combat this amorphous crime.The Canadian-run Operation Northern Spotlight and American-run Operation Cross Country have worked tirelessly to rescue and recover victims of human and sex trafficking across Canada and the United States.
Much of the initial research into human trafficking came from more than 330 interviews conducted with women from all walks of life who had been personally victimized by human trafficking. Threats of sexual and physical violence, drug dependency, grooming, emotional manipulation, and gaslighting, as well as threats against friends and family were found to be common tactics of coercion. Women as young as 15 and as old as 40 were interviewed during the operation. The taskforce found that, as a result of abysmal poverty and drug rates, aboriginal women and girls represented a high proportion of trafficked Canadian women.
A June 14, 2014 study found that Toronto is both a national and international hub for human trafficking. Victims are transported across provinces and are brought in from over 18 different countries including Afghanistan, the U.S., Ukraine, the Philippines, and India. Many are trafficked out again after arrival.
Contrary to popular belief, however, most victims of human trafficking in Canada are not kidnapped from overseas. According to the RCMP, most victims in Canada are Canadian—approximately 93 per cent. Human trafficking remains one of the most under-reported crimes in Canada largely because citizens simply cannot believe that this could happen in Canada.
Perhaps the under-documentation of human trafficking comes from misconception or ignorance. Some mistakenly believe that human trafficking victims are participating by choice. Only 78 per cent of Canadians agree that girls under the age of 16 are not involved in prostitution by choice.
Others confuse human trafficking with sex work—two very different conventions. Until recently, police weren’t trained to deal with human trafficking. Furthermore, many victims are unwilling to go to the police and report what is happening to them.
Due to a lack of awareness, the largest challenges faced by those who work with victims of human trafficking are a lack of funding, inadequate housing, difficulty providing financial support, and difficulty providing counselling for the victims.