Human trafficking not just a big city problem: RCMP
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 7, 2006 | 1:33 PM AT
CBC News
Just because there are no reported cases of human trafficking in Cape Breton doesn't mean it's not happening, says an RCMP expert.
Cpl. Mack MacIver is one of the organizers of a conference on human trafficking that began Tuesday in Sydney.
Human trafficking is becoming a bigger concern all the time, he said, and it often involves forcing people into the sex trade or making farm workers and nannies work long hours for little money.
MacIver said it's not talked about much in small towns, so people may think it doesn't exist.
“They are not aware of it and not educated about it,” he said.
According to the RCMP, between 800 and 1,200 people are victims of human trafficking in Canada each year, most working in forced labour or the illegal sex trade.
About 100 people are attending the conference, including police, immigration workers and service groups.
