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Human Trafficking: Need for Reform in Canada |
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by John Winterdyk and Kelly Sundberg
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The phenomena of trafficking human beings, or THB, or sometimes simply refered to as modern-day “slavery,” has plagued our world for thousands of years and still today represents a major concern. Although contemporary efforts to combat the trafficking on the international level date back to 1904 with the signing of “The International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Trade,” criminological and criminal justice interest in the subject only began to grow in the post-cold war period and more significantly after the United Nations (UN) Trafficking Protocol in 2000.
Today, the UN describes THB as the third largest crime next to the smuggling and trafficking of drugs and firearms. And while there is a vast body of literature describing the plight and extent of women being exploited in the sex-trade, as well as a growing body of evidence on the trafficking and exploitation of children, there is comparatively little research done in the context of THB on either a national and international level. Most of the literature tends to focus on legal and human rights issues versus strategies that can be used to combat the problem. In particular there is a dearth of information addressing what efforts officials are taking to curb this horrific crime, and more importantly, how effective current strategies are.
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