In a world obsessed with the pursuit of wealth and personal gain, the federal government is waging war on one of the worst kinds of greed and self-indulgence.

The buying and selling of human beings should be a sad part of history, yet the practice of human trafficking is still alive and well. Human traffickers often use the promise of a well-paid job abroad to lure innocent victims away from their families and communities, only to exploit them upon arrival in a new land. The federal government is sending a clear message to the world that it won’t be tolerated in Canada.

This spring, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration introduced measures to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to end this terrible practice. Many women come to Canada and are used by unscrupulous strip club operators, so this legislation can deny work permits to persons who want to enter Canada to work in strip clubs.

The amendments to the act will give the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the authority to instruct immigration officers to deny work permits to foreign strippers. Currently, women who apply to work in Canada in the sex trade cannot be denied a work permit if they meet all other requirements. The new policy changes respond to concerns raised by non-governmental organizations that provide assistance to victims of human trafficking and the parliamentary Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

We are closing this door on exploitation, degradation and abuse against women coming to Canada. This country should not have an immigration system that is capable of exploiting women and young girls.
Internationally, the majority of victims of this modern-day slavery are young girls aged 12 to 16, and there are cases of girls as young as five years old being used as sex slaves. An estimated two million women and children worldwide are sold as sex slaves each year for a profit of about $7 billion. That’s equivalent to the amount of money that changes hands for illicit drugs. The RCMP estimates that 800 women are victimized each year in Canada, but some organizations estimate the number could be as high as 15,000.

It’s up to modern, civilized countries like Canada to clean up its activities internally and then show the world how it’s done. Our immigration system must not be a tool that’s used by criminals to victimize people. Canada should be a beacon of hope for people who are seeking safety and a new start.

As a party to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Punish and Suppress Trafficking in Persons, Canada’s anti-trafficking efforts are guided by international standards. This new initiative strengthens our effort to tell the world that Canada is committed to combat human trafficking through prevention, prosecution and protection.

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