Hotel owners in Manitoba charged in labour trafficking investigation

Two hotel owners in Portage la Prairie are facing labour trafficking charges following a RCMP investigation. Taylor Brock has more.

Two hotel owners have been charged in a labour trafficking investigation in Portage la Prairie.

According to police, migrant workers were lured to the province with promises of legal work, good wages and affordable living only to be forced to work long hours with minimal pay under threat of deportation and intimidation.

“Labour trafficking is a form of human trafficking,” Sgt. Cathy Farrell with Manitoba RCMP’s human trafficking unit told reporters Thursday.

The investigation started on Feb. 9 when officers were called to an unrelated disturbance at a hotel in the RM of Portage la Prairie. During the call, two women working at the hotel came forward to the officers with allegations of labour trafficking. Two other alleged victims came forward later as well.

This prompted a five-month investigation by the Manitoba RCMP human trafficking unit.

Mounties say four victims – all from India – were recruited to come to Canada and were promised a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) agreement. The agreement would legalize their work within the country, however, only one of the alleged victims actually received it.

Instead, the four people allegedly had to work 15-hour days, seven days a week. Mounties say they were being paid less than half the minimum wage. Farrell said they were also allegedly threated with deportation and intimidation tactics.

“In one instance, the victim’s identification documents were being withheld,” Ferrell said.

On Thursday, Mounties announced two people had been arrested.

The hotel’s owner, 62-year-old Jai Inder Sandhu, has been charged with multiple human trafficking related charges along with two counts of uttering threats and a charge of withholding or destroying documents.

Sandhu’s spouse, 48-year-old Satbir Sandhu, is also facing human trafficking charges.

The charges have not been proven in court. RCMP said the matter is now before the courts.

Ferrell said often migrant workers, newcomers and vulnerable persons are targeted by labour traffickers and are most at risk.

“It’s important that employees know their rights and recognize these while they are working,” she said.

Ferrell said an employer should never threaten you with violence, arrest, or deportation. They should never ask for a portion of your pay or control who you speak with.

“As Manitobans, we all have a role to play to stop sex and labour trafficking,” she said. “If you see something, say something.”

Janet Campbell, president and CEO of the Joy Smith Foundation, said there are several resources available to help victims or community members who suspect trafficking may be occurring.

“I encourage everybody to learn more about forced labour and the impact in the community,” she said. “Education truly is our greatest weapon as we work to combat this.”

Dianna Bussey, with The Salvation Army, said prevention and awareness are critical.

“We continue to see an increase of human trafficking, and this past year, a significant increase, particularly for the purposes of labour trafficking,” Bussey said.

The RCMP outlined several community resources available to help suspected victims of labour trafficking, including the Joy Smith Foundation, the Salvation Army, and the 24/7 Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.

Note: A sentence in an earlier version of this story did not include “allegations” and two instances of “allegedly”. The charges against the hotel owners have not been tested in court.