The Association for New Canadians says it’s difficult to get a firm grasp on the prevalence of human trafficking in Newfoundland and Labrador as under-reporting clouds the numbers.
The ANC has been given about $220,000 by the federal government to explore ways to reduce the incidence of human trafficking through community initiatives.
Most of the victims are women and girls between the ages of 14 and 24 – many of whom are temporary foreign workers.
Acting director of resettlement and settlement services with the ANC, Chris Lewis says their focus is on prevention.
“We’re gonna try to get it down to zero and it all starts with education, so that’s where the community portion comes in as we are dealing with other organizations including the RNC and the RCMP,” says Lewis.
