As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the Government of Canada amend anti-trafficking laws, policies and programs to differentiate between consensual sex work, sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada ensure that any existing and new federal policies addressing human trafficking clearly define the concept within human trafficking, including human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and sexual exploitation of minors, to avoid the conflation of these terms with other concepts such as consensual sex work.

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada improve the collection of data on human trafficking so that it is disaggregated by identity factors, including disability, race, Indigenous identity, sexuality, immigration status and others, ensuring that the data collection process is culturally safe and trauma-informed for victims and survivors.

Recommendation 4

That the Government of Canada support Statistics Canada to establish a national human trafficking database to allow jurisdictions across the country to access standardized information on perpetrators of human trafficking in Canada.

Recommendation 5

That the Government of Canada support organizations that work with youth involved in the child welfare and foster care system, including Indigenous youth, to ensure that they receive culturally appropriate and trauma-informed services that meet their needs and reduce their vulnerability to becoming victims of human trafficking.

Recommendation 6

That the Government of Canada implement a Red Dress Alert for missing Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people.

Recommendation 7

That the Government of Canada, respecting the jurisdiction of provinces and territories, and in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, support the development of awareness campaigns and resources in diverse languages for international post-secondary students related to preventing, and reducing the risk of experiencing, human trafficking, including human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Recommendation 8

That the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provinces and territories, implement measures to further protect migrant workers with an irregular immigration status from human trafficking and exploitation, and from abuse in difficult workplaces where they may be subject to blackmail, threats, coercion and violence from employers if they leave or report this abuse, jeopardizing their work permits and opening themselves up to deportation to their home country, and consider measures such as:

• accelerating and simplifying the process of obtaining permanent residence status from a temporary resident permit for a victim of trafficking in persons;
• studying potential repeal or amendment of regulations in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations that criminalize migrant workers engaging in sex work; and
• continuing to implement open- or sector-based work permits instead of employer-specific work permits.

Recommendation 9

That the Government of Canada, respecting the jurisdictions of, and in collaboration with, the provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples, consider measures that can reduce poverty and ensure that individuals’ basic needs are met, including:

• implementing a guaranteed annual liveable income or other financial support models, making sure to minimize barriers to these supports for low income households;
• supporting the provision of safe, affordable and accessible housing, including emergency shelters, safe houses and transitional housing, for all; and
• continuing to invest in long-term funding for organizations providing culturally appropriate and trauma-informed gender-based violence programs and services.

Recommendation 10

That the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations, continue investing in victim support services, including trauma-informed and culturally sensitive counselling, legal assistance, and safe housing options for survivors of human trafficking.

Recommendation 11

That the Government of Canada, respecting the jurisdictions of, and in collaboration with, the provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples, provide funding to diverse organizations and initiatives that support individuals, such as Indigenous, Black and migrant individuals, who are involved in the sex industry, including victims and survivors of human trafficking as well as sex workers, to ensure that they have access to adequate legal, justice, health, mental health and addictions services.

Recommendation 12

That the Government of Canada, in collaboration with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, non-governmental organizations, schools, and community groups, support comprehensive public awareness and education programs, aimed at raising awareness about human trafficking, its signs, and its impact on women, girls, and gender diverse individuals, and ensure the distribution of educational resources and training programs to vulnerable populations, law enforcement agencies, and frontline service providers.

Recommendation 13

That the Government of Canada fully implement all Calls for Justice from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, including:

• Call for Justice 1.3 to address the social and economic inequalities experienced by Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse individuals, including their economic security, access to healthcare and to social and cultural supports;
• Call for Justice 1.9, respecting the jurisdiction of, and in consultation and collaboration with other levels of government and Indigenous peoples, to develop public education campaigns to challenge the normalization of violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people;
• Calls for Justice 3.2 and 4.3 to provide stable and long-term funding for Indigenous women’s organizations, including those that provide programs and services for Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse individuals in the sex industry; and
• Call for Justice 4.5 to establish a guaranteed annual liveable income for Indigenous peoples and all other Canadians.

Recommendation 14

That the Government of Canada continue to provide sustainable funding to non-profit organizations conducting data collection on human trafficking, including disaggregated data on the identity factors of groups facing elevated risks of being trafficked, such as individuals with disabilities, those with precarious immigration status, and wards and survivors of the child welfare system.

Recommendation 15

That the Government of Canada support programs that provide training for those who work with victims of sex trafficking to include trauma-informed approaches on how to recognize the difference between sex work and human trafficking.

Recommendation 16

That the Government of Canada, in consultation and collaboration with provinces, territories Indigenous peoples and municipalities, renew the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking for 2024, ensuring that the Strategy:

• is intersectional and developed in collaboration with victims, survivors and others with lived experiences, such as Indigenous peoples, migrant individuals, racialized individuals and Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other individuals with minority gender and sexual identities;
• includes sustainable funding for programs combatting human trafficking that are victim and survivor centred;
• addresses structural and systemic barriers; and
• implements prevention and awareness campaigns, which include information for parents, about human trafficking.

Recommendation 17

That the Government of Canada consider undertaking a thorough review of the application of the Criminal Code regarding section 213 as it applies to vulnerable people, such as women, girls and gender diverse individuals who are involved in the sex industry, and also studying a possible process to expunge pre-2014 convictions related to consensual sex work.

Recommendation 18

That the Government of Canada, in respecting the jurisdictions of, and in collaboration with, the provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples, ensure that human trafficking awareness training provided for law enforcement includes information about the distinction between consensual sex work and human trafficking.

Recommendation 19

That the Government of Canada support organizations providing youth education and awareness about human trafficking and exploitation that is culturally relevant, age appropriate and that includes information about online safety, healthy relationships, and consent.

Recommendation 20

That the Government of Canada report on its plan and future actions to protect women, girls and gender diverse people from sexual slavery, human trafficking and the negative effects of pornography.

Recommendation 21

The Government of Canada continue to support the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act and provide supports to evidence-based prevention community initiatives focused on children and youth from 6 to 18 years of age.

Recommendation 22

That the Government of Canada develop an awareness campaign about the signs of human trafficking and the supports and services available for victims and survivors, and that it:

• encourage all federally regulated workplaces, particularly industries in the transportation sector, to implement it in their workplace; and
• work with provinces and territories to encourage the development of similar campaigns to be implemented across any location identified as high risk for human trafficking.