At a press conference on October 23, Councillor Rowena Santos said that young women who come to Canada are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and human trafficking because they don’t have enough money to cover their cost of living.
“Young girls have to choose between living in a tent or being sexually exploited to be able to pay the rent,” Santos told the media.
“Due to the financial strain and lack of affordable housing, many young women are being coerced into dangerous situations and threatened with deportation,” she said.
While some public institutions and private schools warn about their risks of sexual exploitation or trafficking in their orientations, Santos says more needs to be done.
“Educational institutions need to provide training and information to international students about their rights in Canada,” she said.
In a motion at council, Santos said that post-secondary school orientations “only scratch the surface about what they need to know and they lack information about how to protect oneself from exploitation.”
Human trafficking often goes unreported because international students fear being sent back to their home country if they call the police.
“Under the terms of student visas, girls are warned that if they engage in sex work they can be deported,” Santos said. “So, girls don’t feel safe in reporting it.”
Mayor Patrick Brown told the news conference that city council has passed a motion asking the federal government to delete the sex work clause from student visa rules.
Under the terms of student visas, girls are warned that if they engage in sex work they can be deported
Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton
“The message from the Peel Regional Police is this: Don’t fear to come forward,” Mayor Brown said.
Brown said that in Peel Region, 160 individuals have been charged with human trafficking in the last four years, although only some of these cases involved international students. He emphasised that the number of incidents is likely much higher due to the fear of reporting.
Brampton council wants the federal government to partner in a pilot project to create a hub to provide comprehensive services to ensure the safety of international students. No one from the Liberal government attended the media conference.
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