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Part of Human trafficking

Addressing human trafficking in Alberta

We are working to end human trafficking in Alberta.

Overview

Since 2019 Alberta has been working to combat human trafficking in Alberta.

Human trafficking is a serious, and often hidden, crime that happens in every community. The 3 main types of human trafficking are sex trafficking, labour trafficking and trafficking of organs. Traffickers use threats to exploit people of all ages, ethnicities and genders.

We are committed to protecting and preventing at-risk individuals from being trafficked in Alberta. We will empower survivors of human trafficking and provide new ways to deal with traffickers. Several ministries are working together to implement the 9 Point Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and the Alberta Human Trafficking Task Force recommendations.

Timeline – Progress to date

  • 2019
    • The 9-Point Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking was announced.
  • 2020
    • The Human Trafficking Task Force was formed to bring together representatives of relevant ministries, agencies, police services, survivors and community groups to share information and coordinate a response for government to consider.
    • The Protecting Survivors of Human Trafficking Act was announced, which included new measures to help address human trafficking and better protect survivors.
  • 2021
  • 2022
    • Government accepted all recommendations in the Task Force’s final report, with the exception of the call to action regarding organ donor legislation (currently under review by Alberta Health).
    • Government announced $ 20.8 million dollars over 4 years to implement Task Force recommendations.
  • 2023
    • A $4 million grant was set up to work with 3 community organizations to establish an Alberta office to combat trafficking in persons.
  • 2024
    • Government announced $3.5 million dollars in funding to support 21 community-based initiatives focused on anti-human trafficking supports and services for individuals and communities.
    • Paul Brandt and Angela Adsit announced as co-chairs for the Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The centre will operate independently. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Recommendation progress

  • 9 point action plan to combat human trafficking (underway)

    • Work with community groups, other provinces and the federal government to collect and share better data on human trafficking, and to ensure coordinated action as part of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (underway)
    • Name and shame traffickers by publishing the names of businesses found to have knowingly facilitated human trafficking (underway)
    • Increase efforts to educate the public, particularly vulnerable groups, about the reality of human trafficking, and report tips to the new National Human Trafficking Hotline (underway)
    • Ensure appropriate training for judges, prosecutors and first responders, including police officers, nurses and doctors (underway)

  • 9 point action plan to combat human trafficking (complete)

    • Ensure the Ministry of Labour (now Jobs, Economy and Trade) provides information to Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta about their rights under Canadian law (complete)
    • Lobby the federal government to strengthen penalties against human traffickers by bringing Bill C-452 into force (complete)
    • Introduce legislation to establish a process for restraining orders, torts and proclaim a Human Trafficking Awareness Day (complete)
    • Adopt the federally ratified 2002 United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children (commonly known as the Palermo Protocol), the first legally binding agreement with an internationally recognized definition of human trafficking (complete)
    • Create a provincial Human Trafficking Task Force which will bring together representatives of relevant ministries, agencies, police services and community groups to share information and coordinate action on an ongoing basis (complete)

  • Human trafficking task force 5 primary recommendations (underway)

    • The Human Trafficking Task Force delivered their final report in 2022. The Reading Stone – The Survivor’s Lens to Human Trafficking, outlined 5 primary recommendations:
      • The creation of an Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons (now re-named the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons) (underway)
      • Prioritized/enhanced access to services for victims, survivors and those at risk of being trafficked (underway)
      • Universally branded and consistent awareness, education and training programs and protocols (underway)
      • Human trafficking specific legislative action, update and harmonization (underway)
      • Enhanced, centralized data collection and research (underway)

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