N.S. human trafficking numbers drop, but problem isn't going away, say experts

Recent figures from Statistics Canada say incidents of human trafficking in Nova Scotia have declined in the past year, but people in the province dealing with the issue say the figures do not tell the whole story.

A Statistics Canada report released in December says Nova Scotia recorded 4.5 incidents of human trafficking per 100,000 population in 2022, a decrease from 5.3 per 100,000 in 2021.

The number is the highest in the country and well above the national average of 1.4 incidents per 100,000. Ontario, the province with the second-highest rate, recorded 2.3 incidents per 100,000 population.

The number of police-reported incidents of human trafficking in the Halifax area declined from 7.8 in 2021 to 5.6 in 2022, but it is still the highest of any greater metropolitan area in Canada.

The Canadian Criminal Code defines trafficking as "recruiting, transporting or harbouring a person, or exercising control, direction or influence over their movements, for the purposes of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation by someone else."

The report says one of the reasons Nova Scotia has become a hub for human trafficking is its geographical location.

Indigenous people disproportionately affected

Previous reports on human trafficking in Canada have shown that Indigenous people are disproportionately affected.

Heidi Marshall, the human trafficking consultant for the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association and a co-founder of the Jane Paul Indigenous Resource Centre in Sydney, N.S., says it seems like the trafficking of Indigenous people "will never end."

Marshall said there needs to be an Indigenous human trafficking strategy that deals with Indigenous women and human trafficking.

Marshall said the legal definition of human trafficking needs to be changed.

"Because once you have that legal definition and our women don't fit into that category, the police say that there's no human trafficking issue at all in Cape Breton because of the legal definition. That needs to change."

According to Marshall, the tools of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the recommendations of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have to be implemented as a matter of urgency.

Marshall said Indigenous people are being educated about human trafficking but more needs to be done.

Numbers may be low

Cpl. David Lane, an investigator with the RCMP's human trafficking unit in Nova Scotia, said the report probably underestimates the extent of human trafficking.

According to Lane, many people assume that trafficking involves people being moved around in shipping containers or coming in on sailboats, but that isn't the case.

Lane said domestic trafficking is the main problem in Nova Scotia.

He said in many cases in the province people in smaller towns know their traffickers and are convinced to go along with the plan because of the promise of a better life.

He said traffickers promise to take them to big cities like Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, but don't tell them what is expected in return.

N.S. doing 'good job' of raising awareness

Lane said another reason for the high numbers in Nova Scotia may be related to the province doing a good job of education and awareness of trafficking and how to identify it.

He said the victims of trafficking sometimes don't even realize they are being trafficked and they are rarely the ones who call the police for help.

"What we're finding is police, doctors, teachers, friends of victims are recognizing the red flags even though the victim might not recognize it," Lane said.

"And they will call us. And then we go through some investigative techniques and we determine if there's human trafficking present."

Victim-centred approach

No matter how it is reported, the investigation takes a victim-centred approach, Lane said. He said victims are not forced to get involved in the justice system if they do not want to.

He said they are also directed to counselling and support services.

James McLean, director of research and policy at the Toronto-based Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, says frustration with the justice system has been one of the reasons for low reporting rates in the past.

"There are many reasons that survivors don't report human trafficking to the police, including negative experiences with law enforcement in the past, excessively long and re-traumatizing trial lengths, and incredibly low conviction rates," McLean said in an email.

He said higher government investment in specific policing for human trafficking and greater awareness were also factors in the higher reporting rates for Nova Scotia and Ontario.

Lane said it is important for Nova Scotians to learn the red flags of trafficking and not become complacent.

"Just because you live in a small fishing village in the South Shore does not mean that you're going to be immune to someone trying to traffic your kid," he said.