February 22 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, as enacted by Parliament in 2021, thanks to the hard work of the All Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, of which I am a member.

The trafficking of girls and women in Canada is a scourge that most people are unaware of, but it destroys lives. Last November, less than 10 minutes from Parliament Hill, a young girl was freed by four police units, including the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service. This was the culmination of a 10-month investigation. This minor had been a victim of sexual exploitation for four years. That’s a very long time. Four young men were arrested and charged with human trafficking, among other things. The girl knew the men who had recruited her.

Is the quiet city of Ottawa a hub for human trafficking in Canada? Yes. According to the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, traffickers systematically move their victims from city to city, so as not to get caught. They move them from Montreal to Ottawa, then on to southern Ontario to reach various markets, particularly Toronto, where this unspeakable crime is most widespread. This constant movement disorients the victims. Young francophones are overrepresented, since they are easier to manipulate in an unfamiliar English-speaking environment.

Why is Ottawa part of that network? The city is one of the top destinations for Inuit and other Indigenous people from the north, and it is 150 kilometres from the U.S. border. Although Indigenous women represent only 4% of all Canadian women, they make up nearly half of all trafficking victims, so they’re particularly at risk.

Girls and women aged 24 and under are the most vulnerable to this crime. More and more traffickers are online and on social media, where they take advantage of anonymity to lure their victims, whether it’s the university student at a campus bar or the teenage girl from your neighbourhood, who might be more vulnerable because she’s going through a tough time.

One of the many problematic sites is Wizz, a free dating app launched in 2019. It is aimed at teenagers and has been downloaded 14 million times. La Presse reported yesterday that the Canadian Centre for Child Protection recommends that parents consider removing Wizz from their teenagers’ phones and talk to them about the dangers this app exposes them to.

Last year, 168 cases of sexual exploitation were reported. Canadian police services have identified 4,000 cases of trafficking in a decade. Fewer than 10% of trials result in a guilty verdict.

What’s important to remember on this day of awareness is that we must all be alert to changes in the behaviour of the girls and young women around us.

Thank you.