CHILD TRAFFICKING

What is child trafficking?

Child trafficking is a modern form of slavery that involves displacing a child for the purpose of exploitation. 

A child, considered to be merchandise, can be moved from one country to another or within a country's own borders . This can be for exploitation that includes, at a minimum, prostitution as well as other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, the servitude or removal of internal organs.

At the international level, the Palermo Protocol defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

IBCR distinguishes between internal trafficking and external trafficking: the first refers to the phenomenon of displacing children within the same territory (in the case of the IBCR's study on child trafficking in Quebec , it deals with the displacement within Quebec or within Canada ), the latter refers to trans border trafficking.

What is trafficking, what is smuggling: how to tell the difference?

- Trafficking

•  Implies the use of force, fraud or coercion;

•  Includes the exploitation of a victim;

•  Results in a legal or illegal entry in a country;

•  Includes internal as well as external trafficking;

•  Implies the displacement of the victim.

 

- Smuggling

•  Consent is required from the individual;

•  Involves illegal entry into the country;

•  Implies passing between international borders;

•  Allows freedom to move after arrival at the destination.

 

For further information: we invite you to consult the following folders: