News ArchivePolice Should Name "Johns": LEAF Manitoba Breakfast Prof. Perrin delivered the keynote address at the 21st annual "Persons Day Breakfast" hosted by LEAF-Manitoba at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, attended by approximately 1,000 people. He spoke about human trafficking as a threat to women's equality and the need for a strong community response. Click here for media coverage University of Manitoba Distinguished Visitor The University of Manitoba's Faculty of Law hosted a talk by Prof. Perrin as part of the Distinguihsed Visitor Lecture Series for students and Faculty entitled "Human Trafficking in Canada: Researching Underground Criminal Activity and Advancing Positive Change". Click here for more House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice Testimony The Safe Streets and Communities Act (Bill C-10) is being reviewed by a Parliamentary Committee this month. Prof. Perrin is providing submissions in support of the legislation. New York Conference on Private Militaries Prof. Perrin presented a paper on gaps in the international legal framework governing private military and security companies at a conference hosted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. In addition to academic researcher, other participants included representatives from the industry, non-governmental organizations, and a UN Human Rights Committee working group. Expert Evidence in Human Trafficking Prosecution The Ontario Ministry of Attorney General has called on Prof. Perrin to provide an expert's report in an upcoming human trafficking prosecution that is scheduled to go to trial in December. National Post Op/Ed on Criminal Justice Reforms Prof. Perrin writes in today's National Post about the proposed Safe Streets and Communities Act, an omnibus crime bill introduced in Parliament last week. Click here to read the op/ed Prof. Perrin Appointed Senior Fellow The Macdonald-Laurier Institute for Public Policy has appointed Prof. Perrin as a Senior Fellow. The Ottawa-based non-partisan think tank was recently named one of the top think tanks in the world. Click here to read more Call for Applications: Research Assistants Prof. Perrin will be hiring three UBC law students for the 2011-12 academic year. Students with an interest in criminal law, international human rights law, immigration law, international humanitarian law, and/or international criminal law are encouraged to apply. Deadline: September 14, 2011 Click here for more Prof. Perrin's "Invisible Chains" Finalist for Book Prize Prof. Perrin's best-selling book "Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking" is a finalist for the eighth annual George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature. Five finalists were chosen from a total of 57 submissions. The award will be presented on October 1st. Experts Slam B.C. Government Cuts to Human Trafficking Office Prof. Perrin and MP Joy Smith called the B.C. Government out for quietly cutting the B.C. Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons to just two staff members. Since 2007, OCTIP has assisted around 100 victims, but its future is now in doubt. Perrin called on B.C Public Safety Minister and Attorney General, Shirley Bond, to restore OCTIP and increase support to police and NGOs fighting the crime. Click here for the press release National Online Course on Human Trafficking Launched "Human Trafficking: Canada is Not Immune" is a free online training program for Canadian front line service providers on how to recognize, protect and assist a person who may have been trafficked. The online training program has four modules and takes approximately 5 - 7 hours to complete, and is an initiative of the BC Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons, with funding from Public Safety Canada and Justice Canada. Prof. Perrin was part of the advisory committee for this initiative and his research is featured in both the written and video course materials. Click here to read the press release Click here to take the course. Liberalized laws make prostitution more dangerous Licia Corbella writes in the Calgary Herald about the Ontario Court of Appeal case involving a constitutional challenge to prostitution-related laws. Prof. Perrin provides commentary along with sex trafficking survivors Natasha Falle and Timea Nagy. Click here for more Canada Helps Combat Human Trafficking in El Salvador The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), today announced a $1-million contribution to help fight crime and human trafficking in El Salvador. Click here for more Invisible Chains on Bestseller List The Quill and Quire political science bestsellers list includes Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking by Prof. Perrin. Click here for more CUFA BC Distinguished Academic Awards Prof. Perrin is the recipient of a 2011 Distinguished Academic Award from the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia (CUFA BC). Click here for more Government of Ontario Action on Human Trafficking Ontario is enhancing its ability to fight human trafficking by providing additional support to prevent, deter and denounce human exploitation and provide support for victims of this terrible crime. Prof. Perrin met last year with Premier Dalton McGuinty to make the case for this latest action against human trafficking. Click here for more B.C. Chiefs of Police Call for Action on Human Trafficking The B.C. Chiefs of Police Association is calling on the federal government to adopt a national action plan to combat human trafficking. Click here for more Prof. Perrin Recognized by U of T The University of Toronto, Faculty of Law's alumni magazine Nexus has named Prof. Perrin one of its top 12 alumni to watch. Dean Mary Anne Bobinski commented in the article: "He's brilliant, compassionate and unstoppable. He's on track to becoming one of Canada's leading scholars in human rights and criminal justice." Click here for more Globe and Mail Top 100 Books Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking by Prof. Perrin was listed first in its category in the Globe and Mail's top - 100 books of the year. Click here for more Invisible Chains Top -10 Book of 2010 Parliament Hill's most popular newspaper, The Hill Times, ranked Prof. Perrin's new book Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking as one of the top-10 books of 2010. Click here for more Men of Honour Award Book Review: Invisible Chains Brenlee Carrington, Law Society of Manitoba's Equity Ombudswoman, reviewed Prof. Perrin's new book for the Winnipeg Free Press saying "Invisible Chains is such an excellent and important work that deserves to attract a wide readership." Click here for more National Debate on Prostitution Laws The editorial pages of newspapers across Canada are debating the future of prositution laws in the wake of this week's Ontario Superior Court ruling. Prof. Perrin's new book Invisible Chains is playing an important role in that debate. Click here for Globe and Mail Click here for Calgary Herald Manitoba's First Human Trafficking Charges RCMP Release Human Trafficking Report Click here for more Launch of Public Awareness Campaign on Human Trafficking Research Assistant Positions Prof. Perrin is hiring two student research assistants for 10 hours/week this term. Deadline to apply: Sept. 9th. Click here for details Suspected Smuggling of Tamil Migrants Inquiry Endorses Swedish Model C2C's Special Issue on Modern-Day Slavery Human trafficking bill passes Senate The bill was drafted by Prof. Perrin and introduced by MP Joy Smith. It is the first private member's bill in two years to pass through Parliament, and only the 15th ever to amend the Criminal Code since Confederation. Click here for more Human trafficking victims fall through gaps Bill C-268 Approved by Senate Committee Prof. Perrin testified as an expert witness at the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, in support of Bill C-268. The Committee voted to refer the Bill, which will toughen sentences for child trafficking, back to the Senate for a third and final reading. Click here for more Perrin "Influential Canadian": Reader's Digest Child Trafficking Bill Needed Norma Greenaway, National Correspondent for Canwest News Service, wrote today about the progress of Bill C-268 in the Senate, which would enact tougher sentences for child trafficking. The article also discusses Prof. Perrin's forthcoming book Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking to be published in October 2010. Click here for more Study on Transit Trafficking: Canada & U.S. Click here to read the short article. Globe & Mail Human Trafficking Feature Twelfth National Metropolis Convention Child Pornography Charges Vancouver Sun Exposes Sexual Exploitation Online Citizen’s Summit Gives 2010 Olympics Failing Grade The Citizens Summit Against Sex Slavery, a coalition of non-governmental organizations in B.C., have given the 2010 Olympics a failing grade for taking inadequate steps to prevent sex trafficking related to the Games. Front-line workers have rescued a number of women who were brought to Vancouver by their traffickers for the purpose of meeting the demand of visitors for paid sex acts. Click here for the press release Click here for media coverage Click here for Global TV’s investigative report Sex for Sale & 2010 Olympics Lorna Dueck's op/ed in today's Globe and Mail paints a grim picture of sexual exploitation at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver that begin on Friday. Click here to read more “Justice Undone”: BC Behind Rest of Canada Maclean’s magazine argues that higher standards required to lay criminal charges in B.C. is having a negative effect on its ability to hold offenders accountable. Click here for more Mississauga man charged with human trafficking Randy Estick, who also goes by the name "Snappa," has been charged with two counts of human trafficking in York Region. Click here for more Ontario's Human Trafficking Report Card Prof. Perrin evaluated Ontario's progress in 2009 in combatting human trafficking in a year-end article in the Toronto Sun by reporter Tamara Cherry. Click here for more Open Letter to the Senate on Bill C-268 In an open letter to the Senate, Prof. Perrin calls for an expeditious review of Bill C-268 to ensure child traffickers are held accountable, and their victims are protected. The legislation has yet to be referred to committee despite being before the Senate since October. Click here to read the letter Supreme Court of Canada Child Luring Decision In a unanimous decision in R. v. Legare released today, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Internet child luring law must not be interpreted unduly narrowly. The decision is a victory for child protection advocates who were concerned with the original decision of the trial judge in this case. It will now go back for a re-trial. Click here to read the decision Calgary Human Trafficking Charges On the International Day for the Abolish of Slavery, Calgary policed announce two human trafficking busts involving both foreign and Canadian victims. Click here for more Crown Prosecutor Training Prof. Perrin is providing training and education to Crown prosecutors from across British Columbia on the new human trafficking offences in the Criminal Code, along with members of the RCMP and BC Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons (OCTIP). National Judicial Institute Training Prof. Perrin provided judicial training and education to judges from across Canada in a workshop on human trafficking. Senate Human Rights Committee Appearing by video-conference, Prof. Perrin testified before the Senate Human Rights Committee for its study on child sexual exploitation in Canada. The “Ocean Lady”: A New Challenge of Illegal Migration? Prof. Perrin hosted a forum on illegal migration, people smuggling and the refugee-determination process that was co-sponsored by UBC’s Faculty of Law and the Liu Institute for Global Issues, the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch and Metropolis BC. Click here for more Alleged Pedophile Admits Risk to Offend Canadian Orville Mader is wanted for arrest in Thailand and has admitted in a B.C. court that there are reasonable grounds to believe he is a risk to commit sex crimes against children. Prof. Perrin commented on the case in a Canadian Press article, expressing concern that Mader has not faced justice for the serious allegations against him. Click here for more Migrant Smuggling Op/Ed In today’s Globe and Mail, Prof. Perrin writes about migrant smuggling and calls for greater action against those who profit from the transnational crime. Click here for more Mysterious vessel of migrants intercepted off B.C. coast Prof. Perrin comments in a Canadian Press article about the possible scenarios that could have brought 76 suspected illegal migrants to Canada that were intercepted off of Vancouver Island. Click here for more Canada's response to sex slaves fails Today's Toronto Sun editorial makes the case for a more pro-active response to human trafficking in Canada as Tamara Cherry's latest series on the problem begins. Click here for more Global Forum on Human Trafficking In San Diego, Prof. Perrin spoke at this event on a panel on legislation to combat trafficking in persons and a second panel on undermining trafficking rings. Click here for more info 2009 International Sex Crime Conference In Toronto, Prof. Perrin spoke to over 500 police officers and front-line social workers at this conference hosted by the Toronto Police Service about human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Click here for more info House of Commons Passes Bill C-268 The House of Commons historicaly voted to pass Bill C-268 tonight and send it to the Senate, with a vote of 239 in favour and 46 opposed (the Bloc Quebecois MPs along with NDP MPs Libby Davies, Bill Siksay and Leslie Megan). Joy Smith, MP brought the Bill forward calling for stiffer child trafficking sentences in the Criminal Code based on Prof. Perrin’s research. It is the only one of 250 private member's bills to be approved by the House of Commons this Parliamentary session. Click here for more B.C. Crime Prevention Symposium Prof. Perrin delivered a training presentation to police officers and non-governmental organization representatives on "Human trafficking in Canada: Improving the Law Enforcement Response" in Surrey, BC. Click here for more Edmonton Human Trafficking Case Click here for more Research Assistant Positions (2009-2010) Applications are now being accepted for research assistant positions with Prof. Perrin. The deadline to apply is Sept. 15 at Noon. Click here for more Ending the Vacation of Canada’s Travelling Sex Offenders A new study by Prof. Perrin finds that Canada has fallen behind Australia and the United States in cracking down on its travelling child sex offenders, and calls on the RCMP to pro-actively enforce Canada’s so-called “child sex tourism” laws. Click here for more Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Conference UBC and the Maytree Foundation were sponsors of this two-day forum hosted by the Council of Manitoba Chiefs on preventing human trafficking and sexual exploitation of First Nations women and girls. Click here for more Nova Scotia's First Human Trafficking Charge "Operation Intercede" involved the Halifax Regional Police and Halifax RCMP, with help from body armour-wearing officers from five other provinces, to arrest 13 people on charges of trafficking in guns, drugs and women. Click here to find out more North Vancouver RCMP Warns Parents The RCMP detachment in North Vancouver is warning parents about a sex and drug trafficking ring that is forcing some teenage girls into prostitution on Craigslist.
Click here for more “Trafficking in Persons Hero” Award The U.S. State Department has recognized Prof. Perrin as one of nine “heroes” combating human trafficking worldwide – the first Canadian to receive the honour. See below for some of the media coverage:
Trafficking in Persons Report (2009) Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State will be releasing the Trafficking in Persons Report (2009) at 10 AM-EDT in Washington, DC. The annual report assesses countries around the world in their efforts to combat human trafficking. Professor Perrin is available to provide commentary. Craigslist Changes Coming to Canada? The Canadian Press reports on meetings held between Prof. Perrin, the RCMP, an Ontario police force and Craigslist officials to address concerns about recent cases where the popular online bulletin board service was used to advertise victims of human trafficking for sale. Click here for more Toronto Falls Behind in Trafficking Prosecutions The arrest of Tyrone Dillon involves allegations that are a textbook case of human trafficking in Toronto. Yet, police have not laid that more serious charge. Click here for more Bill C-268 Receives Strong Support Bill C-268 (mandatory minimum sentences for child trafficking) received unanimous support at Second Reading from three national parties, the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP. With one honourable exception, the Bloc Party opposed Bill C-268. The final tally was 232 in favour and 47 opposed. Prof. Perrin has been working with Joy Smith, MP to build support for this important legislative amendment. The Bill now moves to the Standing Committee on Justice. Following this, Bill C-268 returns to the House of Commons for two more hours of debate and a final vote. SlaveryMap.ca Applauded in House of Commons The partnership between Not for Sale and Prof. Perrin to raise public awareness about human trafficking by launching www.slaverymap.ca was lauded in the House of Commons. Click here for more SlaveryMap.ca is Now Live Prof. Perrin and the UBC Human Trafficking Working Group have teamed up with David Batston’s “Not for Sale” campaign to create www.SlaveryMap.ca – a tool that will document cases of human trafficking in Canada. The website allows Canadians to view and post cases of modern-day slavery in their own region, and launched this week with ten cases already identified and mapped, including in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. SlaveryMap.ca is an innovative tool to draw public attention to this serious crime and human rights violation. Tougher Sentences for Child Trafficking Needed In an article published online in the Alberta Law Review - Online Supplement, Prof. Perrin sets out the need for Bill C-268, which would impose a mandatory minimum of five years for child trafficking in Canada. Click here to read the article Canada's Child Sex Offenders Abroad CTV's W-Five recently aired an investigative report on Canada's limited success in pursuing its child sex offenders abroad. Victor Malarek interviewed Prof. Perrin who called for more pro-active enforcement of Canada's extraterritorial child sex crime legislation in s. 7(4.1) of the Criminal Code. Click here for more B.C. Supreme Court Upholds Child Sex Tourism Law In R. v. Klassen, Justice Austin Cullen rejected a constitutional challenge to Canada's extraterritorial child sex tourism laws. Prof. Perrin commented on the landmark decision in national and local media, calling for more pro-active enforcement of this important legislation. Click here to read a CTV report on the decision Tougher Child Trafficking Sentences Proposed Joy Smith, MP (Kildonan-St. Paul, MB) introduced Bill C-268 today. The Private Member's Bill would amend the Criminal Code to create a minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment for trafficking minors. Prof. Perrin helped draft the proposal, which was covered by the media across the country.
Government of Canada partners with Crime Stoppers to increase public awareness of human trafficking Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, today announced a partnership between the Department of Public Safety, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association to better inform the public about human trafficking through a national awareness campaign. Click here for more BC Court of Appeal Increases Ng Sentence Michael Ng was acquitted of human trafficking charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act but found convicted of lesser offences. Ng's sentence of 15 months imprisonment has been found to be "demonstrably unfit" on appeal and increased by one year. Click here for more Third World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children Over 170 countries participated in this international conference. Prof. Perrin was part of the Canadian delegation and chaired a workshop on efforts to combat child sexual exploitation in tourism. He also participated in negotiations on the Rio de Janeiro Pact and Plan of Action to Prevent and Stop Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents. The Rio Pact is open for consultation for 30 days and will then be finalized. To provide input, please contact Prof. Perrin. Click here to read the draft Rio Pact Child Sexual Exploitation in Canada & U.S. in Global Spotlight A joint Canada/U.S. report was released today and will be submitted to the World Congress III Against Sexual Exploitation of Adolescents and Children – a major international conference taking place in Rio de Janiero, Brazil next week. Prof. Perrin was one of the experts consulted in the preparation of the report. Click here to download the report. Winnipeg Human Trafficking Conference Over two hundred people attended this conference organized by Joy Smith, MP for Kildonan-St. Paul in Manitoba. Prof. Perrin spoke alongside representatives from the Winnipeg Police Department, Streetlight Support Services, the Salvation Army and the Kids Internet Safety Alliance. Click here to read coverage of this event Vancouver Conference on Human Trafficking Over 150 experts on human trafficking from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States participated in a conference hosted by the B.C. Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Rani Hong, a survivor of human trafficking who was brought through Canada delivered the keynote address. Prof. Perrin presented new research findings about the protection of foreign victims and prosecution of domestic trafficking cases. Students from the Human Trafficking Working Group volunteered as rapporteurs. Foreign Trafficking Victims in Canada Prof. Perrin released Canada's first statistics on foreign victims of human trafficking identified by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Implications of these findings will be presented at a conference later in the week. There was significant national and international coverage of the findings with over 50 media outlets reporting the story across Canada and in China, India, Pakistan, Thailand and Romania.
“Not For Sale” at UBC David Batstone (founder of the international “Not for Sale” campaign) spoke at the UBC Faculty of Law to a crowd of one hundred British Columbians and encouraged them to get active to combat modern-day slavery. Dr. Batstone and Prof. Perrin met earlier to discuss collaboration between the UBC Human Trafficking Working Group and “Not for Sale”. For more information, visit: http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/ Human Trafficking in Canada and Australia Dr. Andreas Schloenhardt and Prof. Perrin gave a talk on latest developments and future challenges related to human trafficking in these two counties at the Liu Institute for Global Issues. Representatives from the RCMP, BC Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons and local NGOs attended. Canada/U.S. Experts Meeting Prof. Perrin participated in an experts meeting in Washington, DC as part of the lead up to the Third World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. A report on the consultation will be released in the coming weeks. Sun Media Series of Human Trafficking Reporter Tamara Cherry’s four-part series on human trafficking in Canada ran in newspapers across the country. Prof. Perrin provided commentary on the response by provincial governments. Click here for more. Law Enforcement in Peace Support Operations International law publisher Martinus Nifhoff has released a new book on this topic that features a chapter written by Prof. Perrin entitled “Apprehension of Indicted War Criminals: Lessons from the former Yugoslavia”. Ottawa Law Review Article The latest edition of the Ottawa Law Review (Vol. 39, No. 2) features an article by Prof. Perrin entitled “Searching for Law While Seeking Justice: The Difficulties of Enforcing International Humanitarian Law in International Criminal Trials". Humanitarian Workers Face Threats in the Field The Journal of International Peace Operations published an article by Professor Perrin on the challenges faced by humanitarian works in conflict and post-conflict environments and the controversial decision of some to use private security companies. 2010 Olympics and Human Trafficking Sun Media reports on plans to head off human trafficking risk at 2010 Olympics. Prof. Perrin provided commentary. Study on B.C. as Human Trafficking Transit Point Prof. Perrin has been awarded a $15,000 research grant from Metropolis B.C. to support a study to better understand the role of British Columbia as a transit point for human trafficking involving foreign nationals. Canada Considered Charging Christopher Neil Prof. Perrin comments in today’s Globe and Mail about Canada’s under-enforced extraterritorial child sex crime legislation. Children for Sale on Craigslist Despite its millions of users and various social benefits, there’s a dark side of Craigslist that most users don’t see.
Canada AM interviews Prof. Perrin on Canada's law enforcement's efforts to combat human trafficking. U.S. Critical of Canada's Human Trafficking Record "Over the last year, Canada increased victim protection and prevention efforts, but demonstrated limited progress on law enforcement efforts against trafficking offenders," said the eighth annual "Trafficking in Persons Report" released by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Prof. Perrin is providing commentary on Canada's standing in the report in national, regional and local media. Maclean’s Story on B.C. Crime The cover story of the latest issue of Maclean’s magazine cites Prof. Perrin regarding the prevalence of human trafficking in the province. Click here for more.
The Canadian Press interviewed Prof. Perrin about the recent rise in lost and stolen Canadian passports in Spain and the security implications that it raises. Click here for more Canadian pleads guilty to human trafficking A former Toronto man has pleaded guilty to two counts of human trafficking in connection with forcing two young teens into prostitution. Click here for more. Toronto Workshop on Human Trafficking Prof. Perrin chaired a workshop on combating human trafficking in Canada at the Maytree Foundation’s annual leadership conference in Toronto, together with Detective Sergeant Michael Hamel of the Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes Unit and Brenda Wootten of the Salvation Army. Participants included representatives from social service agencies, researchers, the Government of Ontario and the U.S. Consul General. Humanitarian Assistance and Private Security The Canadian Red Cross and Liu Institute for Global Issues have published a working paper by Prof. Perrin entitled “Humanitarian Assistance and the Private Security Debate: An International Humanitarian Law Perspective” as part of their research project on the changing nature of armed conflict. Senate Hearing on Human Trafficking The Senate Human Rights Committee heard expert testimony from Prof. Perrin as part of their review of Bill S-218 (Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking Act). The need for direct legislative authority to provide legal status for trafficked persons was highlighted, along with several necessary amendments to the Bill. Prof. Perrin concluded: "Human trafficking is a fundamental affront to our most basic commitment as a nation to protecting individual liberty and freedom. It must end in our time."
Child Sex Offender Laws Should Cross Borders The Lawyers Weekly published an article by Prof. Perrin on the importance of Canada’s extraterritorial child sex offender laws, their validity under international law, and the need for greater enforcement to deter offenders. Click here to read the article.
The Canadian Press is reporting on statistics released today by Prof. Perrin, indicating that at least 146 Canadians faced charges overseas for sexually abusing children from 1993-2007. The figures were obtained from the federal Justice Department through an Access to Information request. Harvard International Law Journal Prof. Perrin's research on private military and security companies is cited in the latest issue of the Harvard International Law Journal. Click here to read E.L. Gaston's article Click here to read Prof. Perrin's original piece Guns for Hire – With Canadian Tax Dollars Canada has been hiring private security companies to do jobs that our military would traditionally do – including protecting our Prime Minister when he visits hotspots like Afghanistan. Prof. Perrin explores this issue in the latest edition of the Human Security Bulletin. Click here to read more. Peter Wall Institute Law & Society Talk As part of the Law & Society speakers’ series, Prof. Perrin gave a talk outlining his 3-year research project on Canada’s response to human trafficking. The research is funded by the Maytree Foundation. The event at the UBC Faculty of Law was attended by students, Faculty and interested people from the Vancouver-area Canada-Australia Collaboration To better understand and combat the problem of human trafficking, Prof. Perrin’s Human Trafficking Working Group will be collaborating with a newly formed similar group at the University of Queensland, headed up by Dr. Andreas Schloenhardt. This unique partnership will compare findings and lessons learned about the problem of human trafficking in the two jurisdictions. Click here for more. Prime Minister Commits to Combat Human Trafficking On International Women's Day, Prime Minister Stephen Harper recognized the need to confront human trafficking in Canada and abroad. "We are taking on the issue of human trafficking, which remains a growing concern for women and girls, in Canada and internationally", said Harper in a statement. Summer Research Assistant Position Prof. Perrin is currently accepting applications from current UBC law students to work as a summer research assistant from May-August 2008. The deadline to apply is March 15. Click here for more. Canadian aid workers in Haiti charged with sex crimes Armand Huard, 64, and Denis Rochefort, 59, aid workers from Quebec City face multiple charges
The Maytree Foundation has approved a grant of $150,000, over 3 years, to Prof. Perrin to undertake a major project dealing with Canada’s involvement in human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The project will document the nature and extent of Canada’s role in human trafficking, develop policy recommendations and undertake public awareness strategies. Click here for more. Organ Trafficking Arrest CTV Newsnet interviewed Prof. Perrin about organ trafficking in the wake of the arrest of Amit Kumar who is the alleged mastermind behind a kidney-harvesting ring in India. Feds Reject Olympic Brothel Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has rejected opening a "co-op" brothel for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Professor Perrin has come out in the media opposed to an Olympic brothel, arguing that it will only increase exploitation and not help the truly vulnerable. He has also authored a report on deterring human trafficking at the 2010 Olympic Games. Click here for more
Prof. Perrin was a guest commentator on CTV's The Verdict with Dan Matheson. He discussed amendments to Canada's immigration law that could help authorities to detect and prevent human trafficking. Upcoming Ottawa Law Review Article The Ottawa Law Review will be publishing an article by Prof. Perrin this summer on the challenges faced by modern war criminal tribunals in deriving applicable law to deal with unresolved issues. This peer-reviewed article entitled "Searching for Law While Seeking Justice: The Difficulties of Enforcing International Humanitarian Law in International Criminal Trials" will appear this summer in Volume 39(2). U.N. Profiles UBC Research The U.N. Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking recently profiled Professor Perrin’s research initiative at UBC investigating human trafficking in Canada. Twelve law students are conducting legal and case research, while eighteen computer science students are competing in three teams to develop a prototype database to organize and analyze the information. Click here for more.
The Canadian Press interviewed Prof. Perrin for a year-end feature story on Canada's lax enforcement of its extraterritorial "child sex tourism" law. The story appeared in over a dozen media outlets. Click here to read more.
The Salvation Army hosted its annual "Hope in the City" fundraising luncheon in Vancouver today. This year’s focus is on how to assist victims of human trafficking in the Vancouver area. Prof. Perrin attended as one of the individuals advising the organization on this problem. Cracking Down on Child Porn Today's editorial in The Province (Vancouver) endorsed Prof. Perrin's approach to Manitoba's tough new child pornography laws. Click here for more. Legal Duty to Report Child Porn Canwest News Service interviewed Prof. Perrin about legislation introduced in Manitoba this week that would make it a crime for anyone in Manitoba to fail to report someone they suspect of possessing child pornography. Click here to read the story. Story on Student-Faculty Research Initiative Amy Hadley of the The Ubyssey wrote an article about Prof. Perrin’s initiative to involve students in Faculty research, and the important contribution that they are making to examining human trafficking involving Canada. Click here for more. Combating Human Trafficking in B.C. The UBC Human Trafficking Working Group hosted Robin Pike, Executive Director, Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons, Government of British Columbia. Ms. Pike discussed the Office's mandate and challenges ahead. International Achievement Award The University of Calgary has recognized Prof. Perrin’s research and work on international issues by awarding him the Internationalization Achievement Award (alumni category). Before commencing his legal career, Prof. Perrin earned a degree in international business from Calgary. Click here for more. Centre for Military & Strategic Studies Talk Prof. Perrin delivered a presentation of his research at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies in Calgary entitled “Private Military and Security Companies: Implications for Humanitarian Norms in Conflict and Post-Conflict Environments”. Talk on Private Military Companies The Liu Institute for Global Issues and the Centre of International Relations hosted Prof. Perrin's talk about his research into humanitarian standards in the age of private military and security companies. Around 75 Faculty members, students, representatives of civil society organizations and the public attended. Senate Debate on Human Trafficking and 2010 The Senate of Canada has started to discuss the implications of Prof. Perrin`s recent research findings related to human trafficking and the 2010 Olympics. Click here to read more. Proposal for Olympic Brothel Slammed The Vancouver Sun's Daphne Bramham interviewed Prof. Perrin about why the idea floated by NDP MP Libby Davies for an Olympic brothel is misguided and will not alleviate the exploitation of women. Click here to read the story. CBC - Radio Canada also interviewed Prof. Perrin in French about the story. CTV Panel on Child Sex Offenders
Human Trafficking Risk at 2010 Olympics Faster, Higher, Stronger: Preventing Human Trafficking at the 2010 Olympics examines lessons learned at international sporting events to mitigate the threat of human trafficking, and makes recommendations for 2010. Prof. Perrin was the lead author of this report by The Future Group. Law students at UBC and U of T provided research support. Click here for more. This report made local and national headlines across Canada, including in the Vancouver Sun, National Post, Canadian Press, CBC and CTV. Second Canadian Caught for Thai Child Sex Allegations
Private Members Bill on Human Trafficking
Canada Lax in Pursuing Child Sex Tourists The Toronto Star interviewed Prof. Perrin about Canada's lack lustre approach to investigating allegations of child sex tourism by its nationals, and what can be done to protect children overseas. Click here to read the story. Alleged Canadian Pedophile Arrested in Thailand The Vancouver Sun interviewed Prof. Perrin regarding the case of Canadian Christopher Paul Neil, 32, who is facing charges in connection with alleged child sex offences in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Click here to read the story. When Mr. Neil was arrested, Prof. Perrin was the lead commentator on CBC Radio programs in Halifax, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Whitehorse and Yellowknife. Regulating Private Military Companies The Globe and Mail published a column today by Prof. Perrin related to allegations that Blackwater USA personnel killed 17 Iraqis and wounded 24 others in a Baghdad incident last month. He argues that nongovernmental initiatives are helpful to improve future behaviour of these firms, but that governments, including Canada's, must improve oversight of private security companies. Liu Institute for Global Issues Prof. Perrin has been named Faculty Associate at the Liu Institute for Global Issues. The Liu Institute is a research centre at UBC that pursues policy-relevant research on emerging international issues. Click here for more info. Human Trafficking Working Group - Info. Session Approximately 70 UBC law students and members of the community attended an information session with Prof. Perrin to hear about human trafficking, see undercover video footage from the field, and learn about how to get involved in Faculty research in this area. Interested students should email a statement of interest by October 3rd. Click here for more information. CBC Radio Interviews Prof. Perrin
Foreign Policy & Non-State Actors
Westender Story on Human Trafficking Professor Perrin is interviewed along with representatives from the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres and Vancouver Police Department’s Vice Unit about the problem of human trafficking in the city. Click here to read the story. Vancouver: A Hub for Human Trafficking NEWS 1130 aired a radio interview with Professor Perrin on Vancouver's vulnerability to human traffickers. Click here to read the transcript. Reforming Canada's Record on Human Trafficking
Legal Eye Interview The UBC Faculty of Law student newspaper, Legal Eye, recently interviewed Professor Perrin as a new faculty member about why he decided to come to UBC, his research interests and tips for incoming law students. Click here to read the story.
Professor Perrin was a guest speaker at the Institute for Liberal Studies annual summer seminar, held just outside Toronto, Ontario. His presentation entitled “Freedom as a Core Principal to Overcome Complex Social Problems: The Case of Human Trafficking” explored modern-day forms of slavery from a classical liberal perspective. Action Canada Fellowship Awarded Professor Perrin is among 17 Canadians selected for the Action Canada Fellowship (2007-2008). The fellowship is for $20,000 and is focused on Canadian foreign policy issues. For more information and biographies of the new Fellows, please visit www.actioncanada.ca
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Security Concerns on Stolen Canadian Passports
Maytree Foundation Supports Human Trafficking Research
Orville Frank Mader is wanted by Thai police for allegedly sexually abusing a young boy in Thailand. He has reportedly been arrested in Vancouver. Prof. Perrin provided analysis to CBC Newsworld and CBC Radio outlets across the country on the case.
Conservative MP Joy Smith will introduce a private member's bill that targets human trafficking. The National Post interviewed Prof. Perrin for the story. 
CBC's "On the Coast" interviewed Prof. Perrin about human trafficking in Vancouver in the context of the 2010 Olympics. He explained the scope of the problem, and applauded Premier Gordon Campbell's government for recently creating the B.C. Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Proper funding and resources will help it to effectively do its job. 
Professor Perrin writes in C2C: Canada's Journal of Ideas that non-state actors can no longer be ignored in the development and implementation of foreign policy by conservative governments. Instead, he sets out a new model to directly engage non-state actors in order to advance national interests. 
Lorraine Chan recently wrote a story for UBC Reports profiling Professor Perrin's work combatting human trafficking in Canada and abroad. 
Institute for Liberal Studies Seminar