July 30 marks the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and this year's theme is "Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation."
This year's theme highlights a neglected crime, which is trafficking for forced criminality.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women Tanya Fir, Minister of Children and Family Services Searle Turton and co-chair of the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons Paul Brandt issued the following statement on the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
“Human trafficking is a horrific crime that robs individuals of their freedom and dignity, and victims are often left with deep emotional and psychological trauma," Ellis said. "Alberta’s government is committed to fighting all forms of human trafficking, whether they involve sexual exploitation, forced labour or other forms of coercion and abuse."
"We recently invested $5.5 million through the Combatting Trafficking in Persons grant to support organizations that assist survivors and raise awareness across Alberta," he says, adding that "we are also working closely with the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons to strengthen our province’s capacity to prevent, identify and respond to human trafficking. We will continue to forge strong partnerships across governments, law enforcement and community organizations to disrupt criminal activity and protect those at risk."
Additionally, Fir says that "coercion, violence and exploitation have no place in Alberta. Our government is committed to eliminating all forms of gender-based violence, including human trafficking, through Building on Our Strengths: Alberta’s 10-Year Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence. Our actions focus on education, prevention and supporting front-line organizations across the province to put an end to gender-based violence in Alberta.”
Lastly, Turton says that many Albertans may not realize that human trafficking is happening right here in our province. It could be a neighbour, co-worker, classmate, or even a family member who is being victimized.
"That’s why Alberta’s government continues to invest in critical supports like women’s shelters, sexual assault centres, and child and youth advocacy centres so survivors of sexual violence and exploitation can access the help they need," Turton added. "By working together to learn how to recognize, report and prevent human trafficking, we can empower survivors and build safer communities for everyone.”
On this World Day Against Trafficking, Brandt took the opportunity to highlight how we are reminded that behind every statistic is a person: someone's child, friend or loved one, exploited through force, fraud or coercion.
"At the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons, we’re working across sectors to disrupt trafficking networks, support survivors with dignity and care, and prevent future exploitation," Brandt said. "This year’s global campaign highlights the critical role of law enforcement and the justice system in dismantling trafficking while supporting survivors.”
