Trafficking in persons - access to legal status

Resolution number
19
Whereas
  1. Canada is a party to the Palermo Protocol;
  2. CCR passed Resolution 24 in December 2001 and subsequently has held regional workshops and a national conference to explore the issues domestically.
  3. It was identified that a serious barrier exists for trafficked persons, in particular women and children, seeking assistance due to lack of access to legal status in Canada;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Call on the Government of Canada to expand the definition of protected persons to include trafficked persons.
  2. Call on the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to urgently develop a regulatory class.
  3. Call on CIC to give trafficked persons special consideration under H&C, and to accompany this with a regulatory stay.
  4. Insist that these measures not be tied to providing testimony and not be punitive.
  5. Call on CIC to give trafficked persons access to Interim Federal Health (IFH) benefits, work permits and legal aid.
  6. Call on the IRB to address the special circumstances of trafficked persons in the gender guidelines.
  7. Call on the federal and provincial governments to ensure that separated children have guardians assigned to them.
Subject
Trafficking
Working Group
Inland Protection