Child trafficking and trafficking

   What is child trafficking?

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

The child, considered as a commodity, can transit from one country to another or even within the borders of a country, with a view to exploitation which includes, at a minimum , the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Internationally, the Palermo Protocol defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, through the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, by kidnapping, fraud, deception, abuse of authority or a position of vulnerability, or by the offering or acceptance of payments or benefits to obtain the consent of a person having authority over another for exploitation purposes. Exploitation includes, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or organ harvesting”.

The Bureau distinguishes internal trafficking from external trafficking: the first refers to the phenomenon of movement of children within the same territory (thus in the case of the Bureau’s study on child trafficking in Quebec, it is a question of travel within Quebec or to places located in Canada), while the second refers to cross-border trafficking.