On 27 November 2019 the Canadian Council for Refugees hosted a National Forum on Human Trafficking in Ottawa, Ontario, on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people. The key theme of this year’s forum was protection and justice for trafficked persons
Some 80 people attended the forum, primarily from Ontario but also from Quebec, Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island. Participants included anti-trafficking advocates, migrant rights advocates, front-line service providers, academics, and government representatives.
Organizing the event in Canada’s capital provided an important opportunity for policymakers and the NGO sector to meet face-to-face and name how plans and policies actively work to protect or create vulnerabilities to human trafficking.