Statement made on 17 June 2009 by Senator Mobina Jaffer
Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer:
Honourable senators, my question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate regarding exotic dancer work permits.
Why is Canada still issuing these permits? The U.S. State Department has just released its ninth annual Trafficking in Persons Report. Amongst its findings and reprimands about Canada was the issue of temporary foreign work permits for exotic dancers.
The Canadian government said that it would eliminate these permits, but the U.S. State Department says that Canada is still issuing them, to the tune of 14 permits last year and 15 in 2007. These permits put women at risk. Human traffickers use them as a loophole to legally import women into forced prostitution.
Can the Leader of the Government in the Senate tell us if the Canadian government is in fact issuing these permits and why?
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