“Human trafficking is a serious crime that exploits people of all ages and genders; however, the majority of victims in Canada are women, and a disproportionate number of those women and girls are Indigenous. In all of its forms, trafficking of persons is a violation of basic human rights, and is largely hidden and pervasive.
“Every Albertan deserves to live a life free from the experience of violence or exploitation. On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Alberta’s government remains committed to preventing human trafficking networks from taking root in our province.
“We continue to work with our partners and stakeholders to prevent human trafficking, but it will take every Albertan to put an end to it. We have resources at alberta.ca on how we can all take a stand and shine a light on this heinous crime. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out by calling 211. Together, we can put an end to human trafficking in Alberta.”
“On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, I ask Albertans to consider the impacts of this appalling crime on our families, friends and neighbours.
“As part of this government’s commitment to keeping Albertans safe, increased funding for Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) is helping to protect our province’s most vulnerable. This supports important work such as the recently launched human trafficking and exploitation unit that investigates potential human trafficking incidents and collaborates with other agencies to rescue and support survivors. ALERT’s efforts in this area is already disrupting human trafficking networks and bringing individuals to justice.
“As a province, we also eagerly await the Alberta Human Trafficking Task Force’s recommendations later this year. Their efforts and research, and input from eight government ministries that work in areas related to human trafficking, will help end this crime in our province.”
“Human trafficking is a repulsive crime, no matter what form it takes. It’s truly heartbreaking that a significant number of the victims are under the age of 18, many are women and many are sexually exploited.
“National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is a reminder that this happens in our country and our province and that all people, especially vulnerable children and youth, have a right to safety, security and well-being. We have to come together to fight against those who would exploit other people in this way.
“The Government of Alberta is committed through initiatives like the Alberta Human Trafficking Task Force to ending human trafficking, supporting its victims, and protecting vulnerable children, youth and families across the province.”