Dispatches from the middle

I’m extremely pleased and excited to present the first guest post on my blog!

Karen McCrae, Provincial Program Coordinator with ACT Alberta, describes the forms that human trafficking takes in Alberta and tells us how ACT Alberta helps to fight this growing issue. Thank you so much, Karen!

As some of you may know, I will be running the Grizzly Ultramarathon (50km) in October 2014 in support of ACT Alberta. Please read about ACT Alberta and the crucial work that they do, and consider donating to their efforts at:

https://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=38015

Karen writes:

Human Trafficking in Alberta

Angelo worked very hard in his home town in the Philippines but never seemed to be able to get ahead financially. One day, his cousin put him in contact with a recruiter who told him he could get Angelo a high paying job in Canada. The recruiter would take care of Angelo’s work visa and transportation fees in return for $10,000 which Angelo could pay off once he started working. However, after arriving in Edmonton he was forced to work 14 hour days in the kitchen of a popular chain restaurant doing menial tasks. He was regularly insulted and bore the brunt of physical abuse from the restaurant manager. At night, he was forced to sleep in the customer bathroom. All of his earnings were withheld to pay off his recruitment fees. When he complained, he was told to shut up or he would be deported. When he persisted, he was told that they knew where his family lived and they would suffer if he didn’t drop it. One day, in desperation, Angelo told a customer what he was experiencing. The customer gave him the contact information for ACT Alberta – the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking.

Since 2008, ACT Alberta has brought together law enforcement, government, and frontline service providers to identify and respond to human trafficking in our own province. ACT Alberta coordinates services for victims, provides training and education, conducts research, and helps build community capacity to respond to this atrocious human rights abuse.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is the act of forcing, coercing, or deceiving an individual into providing sex or labour for the personal gain of another. Globally, human trafficking is second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable criminal activity and has been recognized as the fastest growing crime worldwide. While human trafficking often conjures up images of sex slaves in brothels in Thailand, human trafficking is an abuse that also happens right here in Canada.

ACT Alberta assists victims of human trafficking in Alberta who are subjected to sexual exploitation and forced labour in agriculture, construction, processing plants, retail, restaurants, the hospitality sector, domestic servitude, and gangs. Roughly 65 percent of the individuals we have assisted have been trafficked for sexual exploitation, including nearly 9 percent who are children. A third of those whom we assist are trafficked for forced labour.

Human traffickers target the most vulnerable among us. Many victims come from backgrounds of poverty, substance abuse, and the child protection system. Their hopes for a better future are ruthlessly exploited by traffickers, who twist vulnerabilities to their own advantage. Newcomers to Canada, including Temporary Foreign Workers, students, and visitors, are also extremely vulnerable. Newcomers to Canada may lack language skills and many are unaware of their rights under Canadian law. This leaves them isolated and vulnerable to exploitation.

What does ACT Alberta do?

Human trafficking is a serious and growing issue in Alberta. ACT Alberta was created with the goal of assisting victims of trafficking with their complex and individualized needs, and we work to deepen our relationships with frontline service providing agencies, law enforcement, and government in order to coordinate services and provide them with the full spectrum of care.

ACT Alberta also works to train and educate our community about human trafficking. We offer free presentations on human trafficking to professionals working with trafficked persons in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, as well as community groups and agencies. Our newly developed Youth Education Program (YEP!) in Calgary aims to educate and engage youth on human trafficking in Canada though a free, interactive, and age-appropriate presentation.

ACT Alberta also provides direct assistance to victims of trafficking. We are actively involved in directly advocating for immigration status for victims of trafficking in Canada who are at risk of deportation. We also manage a Victim Assistance Fund, which is only funded through donations. This fund is drawn upon when victims of trafficking require assistance that they cannot find elsewhere. In the past, we have used this fund to pay for emergency dental and medical care, psychological trauma counseling, and transportation costs. This fund has also been used to pay for emergency housing when a victim of trafficking is faced with living on the streets. Unfortunately, this fund is depleted very quickly when needed, and can take a significant amount of time to replenish.

Conclusion

We were thrilled when Katie announced that she would be donating the proceeds she raises from the Grizzly Ultramarathon to ACT Alberta. It is an honour to know and work with Katie, and we are continuously impressed with her integrity and diligence. We thank all of you for considering donating to this worthy cause. This vital work cannot be done without the support of our community, and every dollar goes a long way towards helping the victims of trafficking who live among us.