Trafficked persons can be men, women, and children of any age from anywhere. Human traffickers often target the most vulnerable people of a society, and most trafficked persons are women and girls. Sometimes trafficked persons are forced by their circumstances, their families, or traffickers into exploitation. Other times, trafficked persons are deceived into believing a better life awaits them and they choose to take the risk. A trafficked person may be from another country or they may be a Canadian citizen who has been trafficked within or across provinces.

A person may be trafficked if they:

• Are travelling with minimal or inappropriate luggage/belongings
• Are accompanied everywhere by someone who speaks for him/her
• Appear to be fearful of and/or under the control of another person
• Are unfamiliar with the neighbourhood where they live or work
• Lack identification and other travel documents
• Are not working in the job that was originally promised to them
• Have no choice about hours worked or other working conditions
• Work long hours, lives at a work site, or is picked up and driven to and from work
• Cannot leave their job to find another one
• Do not have control over their wages or money
• Show signs of physical abuse or injury
• Owe money to their employer or another person who they feel honour bound to repay
• Work but do not get paid normal wages
• May have health issues that have not been attended to
• May describe moving or changing jobs suddenly

Often Trafficked Persons may be reluctant to report or seek services because they:

• Are threatened that if they tell anyone, they or their families will be hurt
• May be unfamiliar with their surroundings and do not know how to trust
• Do not know help exists or where to go for it
• Fear law enforcement and other authorities
• Fear being deported if they are from another country
• Are embarrassed or humiliated
• Do not see themselves as a trafficked person or victim
• May have complex relationships with their traffickers that involve deep levels of psychological conditioning

Each human trafficking situation is unique and requires a different care coordination strategy. Services a trafficked person may need:

• Emergency and ongoing medical and dental care
• Housing/Shelter/Clothing
• Financial support
• Counselling and mental health services
• Translation/Interpretation services
• Legal advice and support
• Reintegration and/or repatriation services
conditioning
• May be addicted to drugs
• May be in debt to their traffickers
• May be sending much needed money back ‘home’ and worry about not being able to do this