Nanaimo airport joins anti-human trafficking campaign ‘NotInMyCity’

The Nanaimo Airport (YCD) has joined a national anti-human trafficking campaign that aims to prevent human trafficking in Canada, and help people spot the signs of potential victims.

The campaign, called #NotInMyCity (NIMC), was launched in 2017 by Canadian country music star Paul Brandt.

Since then, the campaign has called for changes to the travel sector in Canada, and to raise awareness about human trafficking in the country.

According to the Nanaimo Airport, human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada, and criminals tend to transport victims from city to city to maximize profits.

As part of the #NotInMyCity campaign, the Nanaimo Airport will be training its staff on how to spot signs of human trafficking, and informational material will also be placed in the terminal, as well as on the YCD website for travellers to read.

The information will help people identify risk factors and find contact information for potential witnesses and victims.

“Embracing YCD as a partner in transport will play a significant role in fighting against human trafficking within Canada, an issue that affects young girls and women profoundly,” said Brandt in a release Tuesday.

“My heartfelt thanks go out to the team at YCD for their dedicated efforts in illuminating the issues of human trafficking and sexual exploitation,” he said.

According to YCD, 21 per cent of human trafficking victims are kids under the age of 18, despite youth only making up four per cent of the country’s total population.

It adds that roughly 50 per cent of all trafficking victims in the country are Indigenous people.

The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 1-833-900-1010 or online here.

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