Environmental Scan — June 2004

Human Trafficking

The world is experiencing an ever-increasing commodification of humans.

Each year, hundreds of thousands - possibly millions - of women, men and children are bought and sold for the purposes of involuntary servitude, primarily for sexual exploitation and forced labour.

Trafficking in persons (TIP) represents a pervasive assault on human rights and exists in one form or another in most countries - rich and poor. The involvement of children also makes this a child protection issue.

TIP is a profit-motivated crime, with revenues estimated to be approaching those of annual organized crime drug profits.

The issue of TIP has captured the attention of all levels of society globally, and there is almost daily media coverage. There are considerable knowledge gaps - further research is needed in virtually every area of the issue. .

In this Section...

• women and children are primarily, but not exclusively, trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation; men are primarily trafficked for labour
• trafficking victims are subjected to a brutal and continuous violation of their human rights and dignity
• there are a number of interrelated factors contributing to the growth of this phenomenon
• the issue is gaining international prominence with governments, non-government organizations taking steps to address and prevent the problem
• TIP is an emerging issue for Canada; primarily concentrated in urban centres
• steps are being taken by the Government of Canada to combat this problem domestically and internationally
  

To obtain an electronic copy (PDF) of this section or the complete report, please send a request by e-mail to the Strategic Policy and Planning Branch of the RCMP to