MP Smith Highlights Visit by Director of U.S. Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
May 18, 2012
Ottawa, ON – Today Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan – St. Paul highlighted the visit of Ambassador Luis CdeBaca to Canada. Ambassador CdeBaca serves as the Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and is the director of the US State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
"Ambassador CdeBaca has been instrumental in leading the U.S. effort to combat modern day slavery within the U.S. and internationally," said MP Joy Smith. "I am delighted that he has visited Canada to further strengthen the joint efforts between Canada and the U.S."
On Wednesday, MP Smith met one on one with Ambassador CdeBaca to discuss some of the key issues surrounding modern day slavery and the next steps in the fight against human trafficking. Ambassador CdeBaca also met with officials and law enforcement from federal departments during his visit to Ottawa on Canada-U.S. anti-human trafficking efforts.
On Thursday, MP Smith hosted a luncheon on Parliament Hill in honour of the Ambassador's visit to promote dialogue among Parliamentarians about modern day slavery. The bipartisan event was attended by Cabinet Ministers, Senators, Members of Parliament, Ambassadors, and representatives from the nongovernmental community.
At the luncheon, MP Smith and Ambassador CdeBaca emphasized the value of strong partnerships between nations and the responsibility of elected officials to take action against slavery, both within Canada and abroad.
"The United States and Canada are standing side by side in the fight against modern slavery. Combating this heinous crime is not just a shared goal, but a reflection of our common values," said Amb. CdeBaca. "I want to thank MP Smith for working to strengthen the partnership between our countries and for her leadership in Canada to move this effort forward. With continued strong commitment of her and other lawmakers, we can make real progress in meeting this challenge."
The partnership between Canada and the U.S. grew stronger on March 2, 2012, as the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center and the Canadian Human Trafficking National Coordination Center. This important agreement will facilitate the sharing of critical information on human trafficking to combat and disrupt transnational criminal organizations.
MP Smith and Ambassador CdeBaca also addressed the importance of recognizing human trafficking as modern day slavery.
"We need to call it what it is. Human trafficking at its roots is a heinous abuse of basic human rights, namely the right to freedom," said MP Joy Smith. "Whether we are dealing with forced labour, forced prostitution, debt bondage, human trafficking is modern day slavery.
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For more information, contact:
Joel Oosterman
Office of Joy Smith, MP
Mobile: 613-220-6795
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Who can they trust?


How we treat the vulnerable, children and women says a lot about our society.

In many places in the world, today, children are preyed upon. It is unimaginable and yet goes on everyday. It has been said that a country which kills its own children has no future. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents around the world (WHO, 20025). One study revealed that about 30% of all severely disabled children relegated to special homes in the Ukraine died before they reached 18 years of age (Human Rights Watch, 20016). UNICEF estimates that two million children died as a result of armed conflict during a recent 10-year period, and that another six million were injured or disabled (Human Right Watch, 20017). In Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, over 6.5 million children annually are exposed to unwanted sexual materials over the Internet; over 1.7 million of these report distress over exposure to these materials (Estes & Weiner, 20018). Each year, approximately one million more children around the world are introduced into commercial sexual exploitation (Casa Alianza, 20019). The concern of this article and the writer are women and children. Each one has a name. Each one deserves to be loved, have a home, a family, live in a safe community, have enough food, and an education. The hope is that each would experience the world as a safe place to discover wonder and beauty. Each one, needs to be nurtured and protected so that they can discover their unique place among us! Sadly, due to injustice, many do not experience these things.

What are we going to do about it?

The injustice is overwhelming and far reaching. Issues like: poverty, racism, gender inequality, corruption, power and control being in the hands of men are the deepest injustice issues. They allow the horrific injustices of: family breakdowns, domestic violence, exploitation, human trafficking, and brutality with armed conflict. Each one degrades the women and creates a situation that threatens our children ever reaching maturity. The adversity that children and young people face today is unparalleled. Never before have there been so many affronts to their development and physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We have forgotten the value of the individual especially, women and children. Where is the justice?

The poverty and widespread exploitation is not decreasing but actually increasing. “Governments are losing their moral compass, sacrificing the global values of human rights in a blind pursuit of security and wealth. This failure of leadership is a dangerous concession to armed groups.” (Globalissues.org) Is it too late? Are we so lost that we ought to hope for a flood or an ice age to start over? Never before have the words of Micah made more sense, “It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbour, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.” In the midst of the complete mess, people are rising up and saying enough! There is lots of talk about justice and justice movements. Are we seriously willing to do more than just talk? Charitable organizations are springing up everywhere and new causes are being promoted at each turn. Charity is a good start and better than nothing. Charity is something given to a person or persons in need. It is an answer to a lack in someone else. Hopefully it is given unconditionally and cheerfully. Justice is the quality of being just; it is displayed righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness; it is looking at the lack and asking the question, “why is this happening?” and then dealing with the root problem. Charity is needed and so is justice. Charity because it spreads some goodness around. Justice is needed because it can bring about lasting change. Justice makes it possible that the injustice will not continue. Charity is the response to the needs due to the injustice. Charity can bring some hope. Justice, transformation in a bankrupt system. Each one of us have the responsibility to “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers.” Poverty and gender inequality are keeping women and children from being able to rise up from the devastation of the corrupt soul of humanity.

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Anti-Human Trafficking Bill Adopted by House of Commons - Heads to the Senate

Today, Bill C-310, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons), passed at Third Reading with unanimous consent. Bill C-310 will now go to the Senate for consideration.

"I am absolutely delighted with the adoption of Bill C-310 today by the House of Commons and look forward to it being adopted by the Senate in a timely manner," said MP Joy Smith. "Bill C-310 will have a significant impact on the anti-human trafficking efforts of Canada here at home as well as abroad. This legislation will place important legal tools into the hands of prosecutors and law enforcement."
Bill C-310 amends the Criminal Code by adding the current trafficking in persons offences [s.279.01, s.279.011, s.279.02, and s.279.03] to the list of offences which, if committed outside of Canada by a Canadian or permanent resident, could be prosecuted in Canada. The Bill also adds an interpretive aid for courts to provide greater clarity of the definition of exploitation in s.279.04 of the Criminal Code.
"Today, modern day slavery exists in all corners of our globe and our resolve to eliminate it must only grow stronger," said MP Smith. "It will take concerted efforts across party lines to effectively combat human trafficking in our country as well as abroad. I look forward to working with all members of Parliament to fight this egregious abuse of human rights."
Since introducing Bill C-310, MP Joy Smith has presented petitions containing 1000's of signatures from Canadians calling for the adoption of the legislation. Many organizations have also lent their support for this legislation, representing stakeholders such as law enforcement, victim's services, and non-governmental organizations.
MP Joy Smith is one of Canada's leading anti-human trafficking advocates and has previously succeeded in passing legislation to combat human trafficking. In 2010, MP Joy Smith's Bill C-268 became law creating Canada's first child trafficking offence with stiff minimum sentences. MP Smith has also drafted a proposal for a National Action Plan to Combat Human trafficking called 'Connecting the Dots' that is being developed by the Canadian Government.
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For more information please contact:
Joel Oosterman
Office of Joy Smith, MP
Mobile: 613-220-6795
Backgrounder – Timeline of Bill C-310
October 3, 2011 – Introduced at First Reading
October 25, 2011 – First Hour of Debate at Second Reading
December 12, 2011 – Second Hour of Debate at Second Reading
December 12, 2011 – Unanimously referred to the Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights
March 15, 2012 – Reviewed, Amended and Adopted by Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights
March 30, 2012 – Recorded Vote Forced at Report Stage
April 4, 2012 – Recorded Vote on Bill C-310 – Unanimous Support
April 27, 2012 – Bill C-310 Debated and Passed at Third Reading
Backgrounder – Organizations Supporting Bill C-310
  • Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime
  • Canadian Women's Foundation
  • International Justice Mission Canada
  • Ratanak International
  • The Salvation Army
  • Beyond Borders
  • World Vision
  • CEASE: Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation
  • Ukrainian World Congress Taskforce to Stop Human Trafficking
  • National Council of Jewish Women of Canada
  • The Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women
  • Help Us Help The Children Anti-Trafficking Initiative(HUHTC-ATI)
  • Walk With Me
  • [free-them]
  • Hope For The Sold
  • Sextrade 101
  • MAST (Men Against Sex Trafficking)
  • LAHT (London Anti-Human Trafficking Committee)
  • Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
  • Maple Leaf Alberta Projects
  • The Zonta Club of Canada
  • Temple Committee Against Human Trafficking
  • Defend Dignity
  • Christian and Missionary Alliance
    •
Backgrounder - Statements of Support
Prof. Benjamin Perrin, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law, and author of Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking (Penguin, 2011)
"Human traffickers have evaded prosecution for their heinous crimes, in part, because Canada's criminal laws are not explicit enough to clearly encompass the range of tactics employed by these serial exploiters. Member of Parliament Joy Smith is again responding to concerns by police and victims' groups in seeking to amend our human trafficking laws to hold traffickers accountable and protect victims. I call on all Parliamentarians to support this initiative."
Jamie McIntosh, Executive Director, International Justice Mission Canada
"The crime of human trafficking often transgresses international boundaries, with vulnerable men, women, and children subject to its devastating reach. Human traffickers, including those of Canadian nationality, will persist in their illicit trade if they believe their crimes will go unpunished. Extending authority to prosecute Canadians for human trafficking crimes committed abroad is an important step in the global fight against human trafficking. As a nation, we must commit to prosecuting Canadian nationals who commit these crimes, regardless of geographical location at the time of offence." 
Timea Nagy, Program Director, Walk With Me
"As an internationally trafficked survivor, who has been working with Canadian law enforcement to help human trafficking victims, I am absolutely thrilled to see this legislation presented by Mrs. Smith. It is clear, that Mrs. Smith has consulted professionals, experts from the field, and listened. This Bill will help Canadian law enforcement and prosecutors to be able to do their job and send a message to traffickers around the world, that Canada does not tolerate this crime against human dignity."
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We celebrate Easter and these kids serve their masters

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"Kingpin" and other Individuals of Trafficking Ring Face Criminal Charges in the Largest Human Trafficking Case in Canada

PRESS RELEASE
March 28, 2012

Immediate Release


 

"Kingpin" and other Individuals of Trafficking Ring Face Criminal Charges in the Largest
Human Trafficking Case in Canada

 

In what has been called Canada's largest human trafficking case to date, a man by the name of Ferenc Domotor Sr. is accused of being the ringleader in a human trafficking and fraud operation in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. Domotor Sr. has pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking, fraud, conspiracy and organized crime before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The human trafficking ring comprises of immediate and extended family members of Domotor Sr. Two fugitives, Ferenc Domotor (the father of Domotor Sr.) and Gizella Domotor, are still at large.

Allegedly, Domotor Sr. financed and arranged for the victims to fly to Canada and instructed them to claim refugee status upon arrival. Domotor Sr, then locked them in the basements of homes in Hamilton and Ancaster, Ontario where the victims lived in deplorable conditions. Domotor Sr. then allegedly confiscated their passports and forced them to work at a construction site for seven days per week without pay. Several victims claim that they were threatened, ordered not to leave the houses unaccompanied, and beaten. In one victim impact statement provided for the sentencing of co-accused Attila Kolompar a victim stated that "Even when we finally got home, during the evening they wouldn't let me rest." Another victim stated, "He made me work until I passed out... I am still afraid... I can't go through that terror again." Other co-accused - including Attila Kolompar, Ferenc Karadi, Gizella Kolompar, and Lajos Domotor - have all plead guilty to their charges and have been sentenced.

In what assistant Crown attorney Toni Skarica calls an "invasion of evil," the Domotor family recruited and trafficked victims for the purpose of forced labour and took advantage of Canada's refugee and welfare systems by committing fraud. Ferenc Domotor Sr., deemed the kingpin of this international human trafficking ring, and his son Ferenc Domotor Jr. will stand before Court to be sentenced on Tuesday, April 3 at 2:00 PM at the John Sopinka Courthouse in Hamilton, Ontario.
In 2009, convicted trafficker Laura Emerson was sentenced to 7 years, the stiffest trafficking sentence in Canada to date. Domotor Sr. could potentially receive a sentence in the 6-9 year range which would then give him the strictest human trafficking sentence to date.

Other individuals accused in this international human trafficking ring will also be standing before the Court in the coming week:

Thursday, March 29, 9:30 AM, Gyula Domotor
Monday, April 2, 10:00 AM, Joszef Domotor and K. Csaszar
Tuesday, April 3, 2:00 PM, Ferenc Domotor Sr., Ferenc Domotor Jr. and Viktoria Nemes
Wednesday, April 4, time TBA, Andras and Andrasjne Stojka

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Media Contact: Jennifer Lucking, Walk With Me Victim Services Canada, (289) 440-7336, Jennifer.L@walk-with-me.org

--
Russell Sanche
==================================================

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Human Trafficking in the News



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Google Alert - human trafficking canada
From: Google Alerts <googlealerts-noreply@google.com>
To: rsanche07@gmail.com
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News5 new results for human trafficking canada
 
Canada, US Cooperate to Fight Cross-Border Crime
thebahamasweekly.com
By US Embassy Washington — Tracking down human trafficking and smuggling operations will be easier for Canadian and US law enforcement officials thanks to a new agreement signed at the Cross-Border Crime Forum in Ottawa March 2.
See all stories on this topic »
thebahamasweekly.com
Human Trafficking Lawsuit: Was Bride a Slave or Gold Digger?
ABC News
One fact is undisputed in a modern-day story that included arranged marriage and charges of human trafficking: Diptiben Mistry and Himansu Udwadia were wed on Feb. 3, 2007, in Gandevi, India, and then moved to the United States the same year.
See all stories on this topic »
ABC News
Media advisory - Teacher leaders from across Canada to gather in Winnipeg for ...
Canada NewsWire (press release)
Dr. James McNinch, Dean of Education, University of Regina Dr. Julie Kryzanowski, Deputy Medical Health Officer, Saskatoon Diane Redsky, Project Director for the Task force on Human Trafficking, Canadian Women's Foundation.
See all stories on this topic »
Meet the Genie best-picture contenders
CBC.ca (blog)
(Canadian Press/ACCT) It used to be if you wanted to see Canadian movies, you had to catch them at a film festival, or turn up on the first weekend they hit commercial cinemas, because they would surely be gone by the following week.
See all stories on this topic »
CBC.ca (blog)
Drug gangs terrorizing Central America alarms United Nations
Canada Free Press
Drug trafficking organizations have increased their operations in Central America and the Caribbean, posing a serious threat to human security, affecting everyday life, in the region." North America remains the largest marketplace for illegal drugs, ...
See all stories on this topic »

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MP Joy Smith Introduces Motion to Establish February 22 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

MP Joy Smith Introduces Motion to Establish February 22 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Ottawa, ON: MP Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan-St. Paul and national anti-human trafficking advocate, has introduced Motion M-317 which calls on the Government of Canada to establish February 22 as Canada’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. 
M-317— February 14, 2012 — Mrs. Smith (Kildonan—St. Paul)
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should encourage Canadians to raise awareness of the magnitude of modern day slavery in Canada and abroad and to take steps to combat human trafficking, and should do so by designating the 22nd day of February each year as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, to coincide with the anniversary of the unanimous declaration of the House to condemn all forms of human trafficking and slavery on February 22, 2007.
MP Joy Smith selected February 22 to reflect the anniversary of the day that the House of Commons unanimously condemned human trafficking by adopting her Private Members Motion M-153.
“On February 22, 2007, Canada’s Parliament made a powerful statement by condemning human trafficking and calling for Canada to take steps to combat human trafficking in Canada and abroad,” stated MP Joy Smith. “Today, sex trafficking and forced labour continues to occur across our nation involving both victims trafficked from abroad and domestic victims, including many from First Nations communities. Over the past few years, modern day slavery has been especially exposed in Canada through cases of young Canadian  boys and girls, forced into prostitution.”
In 2010, MP Joy Smith released her proposal for a National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking entitled ‘Connecting the Dots’. This proposal was motivated by her conviction that the complete elimination of modern day forms of slavery requires more than just government initiatives.
“Our government has taken a number of important steps to tackle human trafficking including the development of a National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking,” said MP Joy Smith. “Yet, government action alone will not end modern day slavery. Each Canadian must take steps to prevent human trafficking and end this brutal injustice. A National Human Trafficking Awareness Day will help rally Canadian together to effectively eliminate today’s many forms of slavery and raise awareness across Canada.”
“By connecting Canadians with law enforcement, nongovernmental organizations and policy makers, we are connecting the dots,” said MP Joy Smith. “I will never forget the motivating words of a man who heard my message and jumped to his feet to declare that he was proud to be a dot.”
Free-them, a Canadian anti-slavery advocacy organization, was inspired by this man’s enthusiasm and launched the “Proud to be a Dot” Campaign to support MP Smith’s efforts and encourage Canadians to join the fight against human trafficking. 
“Until slavery has been eradicated, there is much to be done,” says MP Joy Smith. “We need to get the message out that regardless of who you are, where you live or what you do, you can be a part of the solution to stopping human trafficking.”
MP Joy Smith is one of Canada’s leading anti-human trafficking advocates and has succeeded in bringing forward legislation to combat human trafficking. In 2010, MP Smith’s Bill C-268 became law creating Canada’s first child trafficking offence with stiff minimum sentences. Last October, MP Smith introduced Bill C-310 to amend the Criminal Code by adding human trafficking as an extraterritorial offence as well as enhancing the definition of human trafficking.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Joel Oosterman
Office of Joy Smith, MP
Kildonan – St. Paul
Office: (613) 992-7148
Mobile: (613) 220-6795
       
Backgrounder – How You Can Recognize National HumanTrafficking Awareness Day
  • Write a letter to your local MP and to the Prime Minister of Canada asking for February 22 to be declared National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
    •
  • Learn about the forms of human trafficking that occur across Canada.
  • Support MP Joy Smith’s Bill C-310 which will enhance Canada’s human trafficking legislation.
  • Raise awareness in your community or workplace by holding an awareness event
    •
  • Request a free human trafficking resource kit from MP Joy Smith by sending your request by email to joy.smith.a2@parl.gc.ca
    •
  • Get involved with an anti-human trafficking organization in your area.
  • Stay informed
    •
  • Write a letter to your local newspaper about forms of slavery that are taking place in your community or province. 
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