Canada Adopts Feb 22 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Conservative MP secured all-party support in the House of Commons, this time for a motion that recognizes February 22, as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Recognizing February 22 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day has been a long-term project of the All-Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking that MP Viersen co-chairs and launched in 2018.

In his speech on Tuesday, MP Viersen emphasized, that ending human trafficking cannot be done by governments alone but requires the participation of each Canadian.

He also pointed out that human trafficking happens within 10 minutes of where people live.

“Even in my large rural northern Alberta riding, human trafficking is taking place. Last summer, the RCMP charged a 30-year-old man from La Crete with trafficking a minor. With so many kids online, traffickers are also adapting their efforts to lure and exploit children over the internet.”

“Mr. Speaker, recognizing February 22 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day will give voice to survivors, increase awareness and unite Canadians in their efforts to abolish human trafficking and modern slavery in our lifetime.”

The responsibility to stand for justice and exploitation is a responsibility for all of us.

Here in Canada, human trafficking remains far too common. Within our ridings and across the nation, each day, more and more people fall victim to traffickers in Canada.

We know that in Canada:

- 97% of sex trafficking victims are women and girls.

- Three-quarters of these victims are under the age of 25.

- Fifty percent of these victims are indigenous,

- and 75% of those in prostitution were forced into it as children.