Human Trafficking Awareness Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: What human trafficking is

Human trafficking is the exploitation of a person for someone else's profit or benefit. It is often called a modern form of slavery. In Canada it is a crime under the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Under section 279.01 of the Criminal Code, a person commits trafficking if they recruit, transport, transfer, receive, hold, conceal or harbour a person, or control or influence their movements, to exploit them. Exploitation includes making someone work or provide a service by making them fear for their own safety or the safety of someone they know.

Offence	Maximum penalty
Trafficking in persons (s. 279.01)	Life if kidnapping, aggravated assault or death is involved (minimum 5 years); otherwise 14 years (minimum 4)
Trafficking a person under 18 (s. 279.011)	Life in aggravated cases (minimum 6 years); otherwise 14 years (minimum 5)
Withholding or destroying documents to help trafficking (s. 279.03)	Up to 5 years; up to 10 years when the victim is under 18

Consent is not a defence. The law says no consent to the activity is valid.

Trafficking is not the same as smuggling

Smuggling means helping someone enter a country illegally. The person usually agrees and is free on arrival. Trafficking is about control and exploitation, and it does not require crossing a border. Most people trafficked in Canada are citizens, permanent residents or people who arrived legally.

Lesson 2: Who is at risk and how traffickers work

Anyone can be trafficked. Women and girls face higher risk, and Public Safety Canada says women are the majority of victims in Canada. Traffickers target people looking for love or belonging, or facing problems with housing, food or money.

Most people are trafficked by someone they know and trust, such as a romantic partner, family member or friend. Traffickers meet people online or in places like shelters, malls, schools and youth hangouts.

How control builds

Grooming: attention, gifts and promises, often as a "boyfriend" or "girlfriend".
Manipulation: cutting off friends and family, creating debts, holding ID, threats and guilt.
Exploitation: daily quotas, control of phone and movement, sometimes supplying drugs to create dependence.

Trafficking is not only for sex or labour. The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking also lists other forms, such as forced stealing, forced begging and forced marriage. Some people are pressured to recruit others in exchange for lower quotas or less violence, which can make them look like part of the problem when they are also being exploited.

The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking says traffickers mainly use psychological manipulation, coercion, threats and shame, not chains or locked doors.

Lesson 3: Signs to watch for

No single sign proves trafficking. Look for several signs and patterns over time.

Sex trafficking

No access to their own ID or documents
Scripted answers, or someone else speaks for them
Fear, nervousness, signs of abuse or exhaustion
Tattoos of a name or symbol that may show "ownership"
A fast-moving relationship, a new name, or unexplained gifts
Pulling away from friends and family; frequent absences

Labour trafficking

Employer holds ID, immigration papers or work permits
Threats of deportation or violence
Living at the workplace, under constant watch or escorted everywhere
Very long hours, no pay or unexplained pay cuts, illegal debts
Unsafe living or working conditions; no access to health care

Labour trafficking happens in legal industries such as farming, caregiving, hospitality, construction, cleaning and manufacturing. Temporary foreign workers and people with precarious immigration status are at higher risk. Workers do not have to repay fees their employer paid to recruit them.

Lesson 4: How to respond and report

Situation	What to do
Immediate danger, violence or a child at risk	Call 911 right away
Concerns, but no immediate danger	Record facts and report to your supervisor and local police, or call the hotline
Advice, or the person wants help	Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010, 24/7, confidential

The hotline is run by the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, a charity. It is not police or immigration. It launched on May 29, 2019, and offers service in several languages.

Do not

Confront a suspected trafficker.
Try to rescue the person yourself.
Use the possible trafficker or their companion as an interpreter.
Post photos or details on social media.

What to write down

Dates, times and locations, including room or unit numbers
Descriptions of people: height, build, clothing, tattoos, names used
Vehicles: make, colour and licence plate
What you saw and heard, in exact words
Camera locations and times, so footage can be saved

Lesson 5: Treating people with dignity

People who are trafficked may not see themselves as victims. They may fear police, immigration or the trafficker, or feel loyal to them. They may be ashamed or afraid of being judged.

Speak calmly and, if it is safe, privately.
Do not judge, blame or threaten.
Use person-first words: "a person who has been trafficked" or "survivor".
Let them know help exists, and share the hotline number if it is safe to do so.
Respect their choices; do not force them to leave or talk.

After you report, keep the information private. Share it only with your supervisor, police and the people who need it. If you are asked to give a statement, use your notes. Seeing possible exploitation can be upsetting; talk to your supervisor or use your employer's support services if you need to.