Canada Enshrines Anti-Trafficking Strategy

Summary#

This bill would put Canada’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking into law. It requires the Minister of Public Safety to maintain, update, review, and report on the Strategy on set timelines. It sets goals, mandates survivor leadership, and calls for prevention, protection, training, and coordination across governments and groups (Bill, National Strategy s. (1)–(3); Review s. (1)–(6); Annual report s. (1)–(2)).

• Requires the Minister to keep the Strategy current and aligned with key UN treaties (Bill, National Strategy s. (1)–(2)).
• Lists specific measures on prevention, services for survivors, justice system capacity, and federal employee training (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(a)–(j)).
• Mandates a public website with research and resources (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(g)).
• Requires a 2-year review, then every 5 years, with public consultations and tabled reports (Bill, Review s. (1)–(2)).
• Requires an annual report to Parliament within 3 months after each fiscal year (Bill, Annual report s. (1)–(2)).
• Ensures survivor leadership in advisory roles, including the Chief Advisor (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(j)).

What it means for you#

• Households
  • More public awareness campaigns about signs of trafficking and where to get help; timing depends on Strategy updates (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(c)(i)).
  • Easier access to information via a federal website that compiles resources and research (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(g)).
• Individuals with lived experience of trafficking
  • Strategy must include measures to support recovery and community reintegration, and to invest in services (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(a)–(b)).
  • Survivor Advisory Committee members and the Minister’s Chief Advisor must be people with lived experience (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(j)).
• At‑risk groups (e.g., Indigenous, Black, and Asian women and girls; at‑risk youth; migrants)
  • Strategy must promote culturally and linguistically sensitive supports and training (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(d)).
  • Prevention efforts must address root causes like poverty, sexism, racism, and other socio‑economic challenges (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(c)(ii)).
• Workers in justice, health, and social services
  • Federal employees must receive ongoing, trauma‑informed training (trauma‑informed means recognizing and responding to past trauma) (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(h)).
  • The justice system’s capacity to identify and prosecute trafficking cases must increase using a trauma‑informed approach (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(e)).
• Community organizations and advocates
  • Formal consultation opportunities during the 2‑year review and every 5 years after, plus ongoing engagement in Strategy updates (Bill, Review s. (1)–(2)).
  • Potential role in sharing and adopting best practices across Canada and internationally (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(f)).
• Provinces, territories, and municipalities
  • Required consultations during periodic Strategy reviews; may need to align programs and data sharing with federal priorities and timelines (Bill, Review s. (2); National Strategy s. (3)(i)).

Expenses#

• Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No explicit appropriation, tax, or fee changes in the bill text (Bill, passim).

• Mandated activities with potential costs include:

  • Maintaining and updating the Strategy; setting objectives and timelines (Bill, National Strategy s. (1), (3)(i)).
  • Public awareness campaigns and a national website (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(c)(i), (g)).
  • Ongoing training for federal employees (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(h)).
  • Expanded justice system capacity for trafficking cases (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(e)).
  • Regular public consultations, 2‑year and 5‑year reviews, and annual reporting (Bill, Review s. (1)–(2); Annual report s. (1)–(2)).

• Fiscal note or cost estimate: Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Creates statutory accountability for a national plan, with clear review and annual reporting deadlines that increase transparency (Bill, Review s. (1); Annual report s. (1)–(2)).
• Aligns Canada’s efforts with its international obligations on trafficking and child protection (Bill, National Strategy s. (2)).
• Centers survivor leadership and expertise by requiring survivors to lead advisory roles, which may improve program relevance and trust (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(j)).
• Addresses prevention and root causes through targeted campaigns and measures on poverty, sexism, and racism, which may reduce recruitment into trafficking over time (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(c)).
• Improves service access and quality through culturally and linguistically sensitive supports for disproportionately affected groups (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(d)).
• Promotes coordinated best practices across agencies and borders, which can reduce fragmentation and duplication (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(f), (g)).

Opponents' View#

• No dedicated funding in the bill; mandates could strain existing budgets for Public Safety and partner agencies, risking under‑delivery of promised measures (Bill, passim).
• Many requirements are broad (e.g., “increase capacity,” “promote investment,” “address root causes”), making success hard to measure without defined metrics beyond “objectives and timelines” (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(b), (c), (e), (i)).
• Federal lead may overlap with provincial and municipal roles in policing, health, and social services, creating coordination burdens and possible jurisdictional friction (Bill, Review s. (2); National Strategy s. (3)(f)).
• Ongoing trauma‑informed training for all federal employees could be costly and uneven in quality without standards or accreditation spelled out (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(h)).
• Public website and data consolidation raise privacy and safety concerns if not carefully managed, especially for small communities where identification risks exist (Bill, National Strategy s. (3)(g)).
• Reliance on periodic consultations may slow updates and divert limited community resources to process rather than direct services (Bill, Review s. (2)).