It's time to ensure effective access to justice
This means stronger human rights-based recourses, and implementing law reform that is non-punitive and recognizes trafficking in all its forms.
There are many access to justice barriers for trafficked persons, especially for those with precarious or undocumented status. Legal practitioners and service providers report this is the case whether seeking access to legal services or pathways to temporary or permanent protection. The system relies on a criminalization and rescue framework that can put trafficked persons at risk of detention and deportation, adding insult to injury. We want to remove these barriers to protection and strengthen remedies focusing on human rights and labour rights.
We have been working to shine light on these issues and on developing tools for advocates, front-line workers and allies: