A trafficked person is recruited, transported, transferred, received, held, concealed, or harboured, or has their movements controlled, directed, or influenced, for the purposes of exploiting them or helping to facilitate their exploitation. (See sections 279.01 and 279.011 of the Canadian Criminal Code.)
You could be a victim of labour trafficking if:
you were hired to do one job, but then arrived here to find that your job description was very different
you are performing a job for which you are being paid little to no money
your employer is withholding your passport or other identification, important documents, or money
your employer or recruiter has threatened you with deportation or the loss of your work permit if you complain about your work or living conditions
you feel threatened or coerced to perform any job, including unsafe labour or labour that you did not agree to in your employment agreement
your employer is refusing to pay you all of the wages you are due
your employer is using physical, emotional or sexual abuse to force you to work
your employer denies you access to medical help
your employer or someone you have worked for has threatened you, your friends, or members of your family, if you do not take a particular action
If any of the above sound familiar, call the free, confidential, 24-Hour Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010
This hotline is multilingual and independent of police and government. They offer interpretation services in 200+ languages. Operators will listen to your experience, answer your questions, and can put you in touch with services and support.
If it is appropriate, they may pass information on to the police. If they learn that a child is at risk of being harmed, or is being harmed, they are legally obliged to inform police.
You can also call the hotline if you are concerned about a friend, family member, or co-worker.
