Support for victims and survivors

On this page:

• Human Trafficking Hotline
• Crime Stoppers Tipline
• Temporary resident permits
• Temporary foreign workers
• Gender-Based Violence Knowledge Centre
• Victim Services Directory
• Provincial/Territorial roles and resources

Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline

The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is a multilingual and confidential service that connects victims and survivors of human trafficking to law enforcement, emergency shelters and other trauma-informed services.

The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (CCTEHT), a non-government organization, launched the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline on May 29, 2019. Supported by federal funding, and a first of its kind in Canada, the hotline is operational 24/7, 365 days a year. It connects victims and survivors of human trafficking to law enforcement, emergency shelters, transition housing, long-term supports, counselors, and a range of other trauma-informed services. Services are offered in more than 200 languages and are accessible to the deaf, hard-of-hearing and non-verbal.

Visit the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline website to access a national directory of social services, education/awareness materials, as well as reports and research products.

If you or someone you know may be a victim, call Canada's national human trafficking hotline at 1-833-900-1010.

Canadian Crime Stoppers Association National Tipline

If you wish to anonymously report a case of human trafficking, please call the Crime Stoppers Association National Tipline at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).

Temporary resident permits

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can help protect victims of human trafficking by securing their immigration status with a special temporary resident permit (TRP). A TRP provides legal immigration status in Canada to potential victims and may be issued for up to 180 days. Depending on the person’s situation, TRPs can be reissued at the end of the 180 day period.

Victims of human trafficking who receive a TRP are eligible for health care benefits and trauma counselling, and may also apply for a work permit.

In Canada, victims of human trafficking are not required to testify against their trafficker in order to gain temporary or permanent resident status. There is no fee for an initial TRP or a work permit for victims of trafficking.

For more information, visit Protection and assistance for victims of human trafficking.

Temporary foreign workers

Canadian law protects all workers in Canada, including temporary foreign workers. Your employer:

• must pay you for your work;
• must make sure that your workplace is safe; and,
• cannot take your passport or work permit away from you.

Every province and territory has an office that deals with labour and employment laws. A person at your local employment or labour standards office can talk to you about fair pay, hours of work, rest periods, working conditions and provide other services.

For more information, visit Temporary foreign workers – Your rights are protected.

Gender-Based Violence Knowledge Centre

The Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Knowledge Centre is operated by Women and Gender Equality Canada and is the focal point of Canada’s Gender-Based Violence Strategy.

Visit the Gender-Based Violence Knowledge Centre to access timely, relevant information and resources on GBV-related content, support services for those affected by GBV, and learn about available funding programs and opportunities.

Victim Services Directory

For information on available resources for victims of human trafficking in your community, visit the Department of Justice’s Victim Services Directory. The Victims Service Directory has been created to help victims and individuals locate services for victims of crime across Canada and in their own community.

Provincial/Territorial roles and resources

In Canada, the protection of victims of crime is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial/territorial governments. Services provided to victims of human trafficking are administered by the provinces/territories, who may receive funding from the federal government. These services include: health care; emergency housing; social services including emergency financial assistance; and legal aid (assistance) programs under which eligibility is based primarily upon financial need. Other social services, such as food banks, may also be provided by civil society organizations.

Some provinces and territories have implemented policies and programs to help reduce the incidence of and provide support to victims of human trafficking.

Province of Alberta

• Alberta Human Trafficking Task Force
• Bill 8: Protecting Survivors of Human Trafficking
• Human Trafficking Action Plan
• Resources for Temporary Foreign Workers

Province of British Columbia

• VictimLink BC
• Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons
• Know Your Rights – Temporary Foreign Workers

Province of Manitoba

• Tracia’s Trust: Manitoba’s Sexual Exploitation Strategy
• The Child Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking Act
• Work in Manitoba Temporarily

Province of New Brunswick

• Response to Human Trafficking
• Support Services for Victims of Abuse

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador

• Newfoundland and Labrador Coalition Against Human Trafficking
• Provincial Advisory Council for the Status of Women
• Office of the Status of Women

Northwest Territories

• Victim Services Contact List
• Northwest Territories Women’s Advisory Office
• Northwest Territories Family Violence Shelters

Province of Nova Scotia

• Provincial Approach to Address Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation
• Foreign Workers – General Fact Sheet

The Territory of Nunavut

Please contact your local Community Social Service worker or RCMP office.

Province of Ontario

• Ontario's Strategy to End Human Trafficking
• Services for Victims of Human Trafficking

Province of Prince Edward Island

• Human Trafficking Response Guide
• Counselling Resources for Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault

Province of Quebec

• Government Strategy to Prevent and Counteract Sexual Violence (PDF)
• Prostitution and Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation – City of Montreal
• Reporting a Situation to the Director of Youth Protection

Province of Saskatchewan

• Protection for Immigrants and Foreign Workers
• Children Exposed to Violence Programs
• Help for Indigenous Victims of Crime
• Self-Care and Support for Survivors of Sexual Violence

The Territory of Yukon

• Government of Yukon Victim Services (Email)
• Sexualized Assault Response Team
• Working in Yukon – A Guide for Foreign Workers

Visit Anti-Human Trafficking Tools and Resources for more information on how Canada’s provinces and territories are committed to combatting human trafficking.

Date modified:

2022-08-25