Co-ordinating efforts to fight human trafficking in Vancouver ahead of World Cup

Agencies are co-ordinating their efforts to combat human trafficking during this summer's FIFA World Cup.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Vancouver during the World Cup.

But bringing big events to a city can also bring a dark side.

“These events don’t create exploitation on their own, but they can amplify existing risks,” explained Randy Watson, CEO of Ally Global Foundation.

Local agencies have joined “It’s a Penalty” and its multi-national campaign aimed at educating the public about human trafficking.

“We will see (ads) throughout the City of Vancouver, at the airport in Richmond and on Skytrain,” said Watson. The campaign video will also be shown on partnering airlines.

For advocate Niyah Winston, campaigns like this one are critical.

“Trafficking can happen to anyone. Exploitation can happen to anyone,” she said, adding that education is key.

“We want to make sure that victims of exploitation, children specifically, are being protected,” explained Winston, who was sexually exploited at age 14.

Winston was among those who gathered in Vancouver Thursday as advocacy groups coordinate their efforts to prevent children and youth from being trafficked.

“The biggest concern for me would be capacity for the service providers that are already pretty overstretched,” said Jenea Gomez of the Salvation Army’s anti-human trafficking program.

Her concerns were shared by others.

“The systems that already exist are already strained, and with a mass influx of people we’re going to see those systems fracture further,” said Watson.

Gomez said sex trafficking and labour trafficking are both a worry in B.C.

“The labour trafficking survivors that we have met are being exploited across multiple industries: the service industry, construction, domestic servitude,” she said.

The Salvation Army operates the only safe house for trafficking survivors in the province. Gomez said there’s always a wait list to get in.