National Human Trafficking – Canada

Human Trafficking in Canada?

Human trafficking doesn’t have to involve crossing borders. And it’s not just a foreign problem, it’s happening right now in communities across Canada.

Human trafficking is happening in communities across Canada, but you have the power to help stop it. Learning how to recognize the signs of trafficking and sharing your knowledge with others can save lives.

Human trafficking in Canada involves recruiting, moving, or holding victims to exploit them for profit, usually for sexual reasons or forced labour. Traffickers can control and pressure victims by force or through threats, including mental and emotional abuse and manipulation.

The Big Picture

Because incidents often go unreported, global and Canadian organizations often don’t know the true scope of human trafficking. According to police-reported incidents:

93% of victims of human trafficking were women and girls ^Footnote1

42% of victims were aged 18 to 24 years and nearly one-quarter (23%) were children and youth younger than 18 years ^Footnote1

91% of victims of police-reported human trafficking incidents knew their trafficker