#NotInMyCity, an organization raising awareness and taking action to combat human trafficking, has added Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT) as its latest Canadian airport partner.
Open Jaw previously reported that the organization partnered with a number of Canadian airports for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on 22FEB, including: YMM, YYC, YYZ, YLW, YOW, YXU, YEG, YHZ and YVR. Each airport implemented different measures to help disrupt human trafficking.
With the new partnership, YQT will implement an e-learning and awareness program. The purpose of the program is to:
- Provide all airport employees and stakeholders with knowledge and awareness about sexual exploitation and human trafficking in Canada with #NotInMyCity's aviation focused e-learning platform. Members of the public are invited to learn more about the issue by taking a free e-learning course found at #NotInMyCity's web site.
- Allow airport employees to understand the signs of human trafficking, and knowing what to do if they suspect trafficking.
- Implement informational signage and materials throughout the airport for all stakeholders and travelling public.
- Report any and all signs of human trafficking, without causing harm.
"We are thrilled that the Thunder Bay Airport reached out to us for our support," says Kris Carlson, Thunder Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking. The Coalition started in 2018 and is a cross-sectoral partnership that works collaboratively to address the issue of human trafficking, specifically in the Thunder Bay area. "We are happy to support and offer local resources to the Thunder Bay Airport alongside #NotInMyCity."
According to a press release, human trafficking and sexual exploitation are the fastest growing crimes in Canada and are the second largest source of illegal income worldwide. In Canada, 21 per cent of trafficking victims are under the age of 18. While making up only 4 per cent of the country's population, 50 percent of Canada's trafficking victims are Indigenous people.
According to the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, transportation corridors are frequently used by traffickers, and once a victim has been recruited, traffickers will often move them from city to city to maximize profits, access new markets and avoid competition. It also helps keep control of the victim who may not know where they are or how to get help, making it easier for traffickers to evade detection by police. Victims of labour trafficking may also enter Canada by way of air travel, under the false promise of a job or educational opportunity.
In DEC 2021, #NotInMyCity launched a partnership with Flair Airlines, which included the launch of the #NotInMyCity e-learning program for all employees, drawn on international aviation best practices.
For more information on #NotInMyCity, visit its web site.
