Statistics

In Canada, information on human trafficking convictions and identified cases is collected and published by the Canadian government. These statistics are collected in a variety of ways including incidents reported by police, convictions, and the issuance of temporary resident permits (TRPs) for suspected trafficking victims13. Since 2009, there have been a total of 1,708 reported cases of human trafficking by the police. As of November 2017, The Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre (HTNCC) has identified 455 human trafficking cases since 2005 in which human trafficking-specific charges were laid.

Of these 455 cases, 433 were domestic and 22 were international. Domestic cases include Canadians or foreign individuals being exploited within Canada, with the majority of the cases pertaining to sexual exploitation. The remaining 22 cases were international trafficking cases where victims were trafficked outside of Canada, primarily for the purpose of modern slavery. So far, 118 cases have resulted in human trafficking-specific and/or related convictions, but 296 cases remain before the court with approximately 506 accused and 420 victims14. Along with police-reported cases, 271 TRPs have been provided to victims by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) over the past five years.

Due to its covert existence, the degree to which human trafficking in Canada is recorded is limited. The execution of this crime usually takes place with secrecy, which puts victims and witnesses in vulnerable situations. According to data collected from frontline service providers and organizations dealing with victims directly, most cases are never reported to any law enforcement agency due to threats from traffickers, fear, shame, language barriers and mistrust of authorities15. Because of these limitations, the extent of human trafficking in Canada is substantially underestimated.

According to Statistics Canada, 92 per cent of human trafficking victims are familiar with their trafficker’s identity. Thirty-two per cent of traffickers have a criminal, business or other relationship with the victim, 31 per cent are friends or acquaintances, 28 per cent are spouses, boyfriend/girlfriends or intimate partners, and 8 per cent are strangers16 .

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS), which analyzes police-reported incidents of human trafficking in Canada, reports that Ontario accounted for more than two-thirds of reported human trafficking incidents between 2009 and 2016. During the same time period, Quebec accounted for 13 per cent of the total reports of human trafficking, with Alberta and Nova Scotia following with 8 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively17 .

Ontario

Quebec

Alberta

Nova Scotia

British Columbia

Other Provinces & Territories Combined

Chart 1: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (Trend Database)18

The regional differences in the prevalence of human trafficking activity can be greatly influenced by several factors. One factor includes the city's tourism scale. Higher-tourism cities draw more foreign tourists and become a hotspot for sources of trafficking. Another factor is the lack of human trafficking detection that occurs within a region. Since sexual exploitation can be detected by several training programs existing in different regions, the lack of public awareness campaigns, provincial policies and victim assistance programs may influence victims’ reluctance to come forward.

While incidents of human trafficking in Nova Scotia accounted for 6 per cent of the incidents reported nationally over the eightyear period, the provincial government released a statement indicating Nova Scotia had the highest rate of human trafficking incidents in Canada (with 2.1 victims for every 100,000 people)19 .

Percent

50

45 40 35 30 25 20

15 10

5 0

Human Trafficking Victims in Canada, by Age Group, 2009 to 2016

Less than 18 18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44

Age group (years)

45 - 54 55 and older

Chart 2: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (Trend Database)20

The data collected represents the difference in age groups among human trafficking victims between 2009 and 2016. The highest percentage of victims (45 per cent) were between 18-24 years of age, and the second highest, at 27 per cent, were less than 18 years old. These statistics portray the popular age range target for human trafficking victims.