Labour trafficking is a form of human trafficking that involves recruiting, moving or holding victims to coerce them into doing any kind of work.
Terms like “forced labour” and “servitude” are sometimes used when talking about labour trafficking.
Labour trafficking may occur when victims are:
- deceived or coerced into a working situation
- exploited for their labour value through unsafe work
- made to work excessive hours
- are underpaid or not paid
- forced to give a portion of their earnings to the trafficker
- kept in a precarious situation through a variety of controls, such as:
- debt bondage (working to pay off a large unexpected and illegal debt that often can never be repaid)
- threats against them or others
- violence
- loss of work permit
- threat of losing immigration status or deportation
- holding of the employee’s passports, travel or identity documents
To retain control of their victims, labour traffickers will often:
- take away passports, travel or identity documents or other personal items
- control living arrangements, social activities and personal interactions
- transfer victims to various work locations to impede their ability to seek help or establish contacts
Newcomers and persons in other countries seeking work in Canada may be recruited by someone from their home country or within Canada who falsely promise a job or wage. The victim may be unaware of their rights in Ontario, how to get help, and fear reporting to police or labour authorities.
Ontario Government Resources;