The number of human trafficking cases in Ottawa jumped from just 1 in 2010, to 26 in 2014, according to Statistics Canada data.
The national numbers mirror the capital’s near-exponential increase in human trafficking crimes: in 2010 Canada saw just 23 incidents. That number quintupled to nearly 140 cases nationally in 2014.
“I don’t think we’ll ever know the true numbers in terms of what the situation is, just because it’s such a clandestine crime to begin with,” says Zaneta Miranbigi, chair of the Ottawa Coalition to End Human Trafficking (OCEHT). “What’s being reported is a gross underestimation of the actual crime.”
So why have so many more cases sprung up across Canada in the past four years? Does this mean human trade is on the rise, or does it mean law enforcement is cracking down on this hidden crime?
Recognizing a problem
In 2012, the federal government introduced a national action plan to combat human trafficking. The extension of the plan is on the table for this upcoming election, with the Conservatives promising another 5 years and $20 million to combat the issue should they win.
In 2013, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) began a pilot project for a Human Trafficking Unit. The project wraps up at the end of this month after a two-year trial period, and will submit its recommendations to the service. Sgt. Jeff LeBlanc, an investigator with the unit, says his goal is to maintain or increase the size of the unit.
“Looking at our caseloads, this should be a permanent, dedicated unit,” says LeBlanc. “By April this year, we were already at 40 cases.”
LeBlanc says he expects to see even more cases by the end of 2015, making it the highest year on record for human trafficking crimes in Ottawa.
He also notes that the increases in reported crime are likely due to increased enforcement and a specifically dedicated team, rather than an increase in human trafficking itself.
“When there’s no unit or education of officers to deal with this stuff, and the public doesn’t know about it…then the problem isn’t being addressed,” he says.
Breaking Barriers
Understanding the definition of human trafficking is one of the biggest barriers for combatting the crime. Simone Bell, an Ottawa victim turned advocate, was caught in human trafficking within the Ottawa region for nearly 3 years before she escaped.
She says at the time, she didn’t even know that she was being trafficked. It wasn’t until speaking with a social worker that she realized what had happened to her.
“When you don’t know that it’s happening to other people, and when you really don’t know how to put a name to what’s happening…how can you even come forward?” she says.
A second barrier is that most people are unaware that this crime even happens in Canada. In reality, about 90 per cent of human trafficking cases are domestic—not involving any foreign women.
“It’s a matter of us thinking ‘we’re a western country, a civilized country, this would never happen here’,” says Miranbigi. “But it’s been happening here, it’s just been a little more hidden.”
Miranbigi agrees with LeBlanc, saying she has not noticed any increase in human trafficking rates. She attributes climbing cases to increased awareness of the general public, front line workers such as doctors and outreach workers, as well as law enforcement.
“Now, warning signs that that would have been missed are not due to increased education and awareness,” she says.
Ottawa a hotspot for trafficking
With its picturesque parliament buildings and winding canals, Ottawa seems to be too perfect a place for human trafficking to exist. But, as a capital city and business centre, Ottawa is one of the main pipelines for the human trade in Canada, according to Miranbigi.
“This crime is more prevalent in Ottawa than anywhere else in the country,” she says. “The biggest hubs are in Kanata and Barrhaven where you think you’re in suburb heaven.”
Miranbigi works with Bell to advocate and spread word that this crime is alive and well in Canada. Like LeBlanc and Miranbigi, she believes increased efforts and awareness are to blame for the higher number of trafficking crimes.
“Human trafficking today…it’s like going back to the 50s looking at domestic abuse. People didn’t talk about it, it didn’t happen, it was something you dealt with in the home. Now we have programming for domestic abuse and women’s shelters and things to help combat that. I can only hope the same will happen with human trafficking,” she says.