TORONTO -- Ontario is investing $20 million into fighting human trafficking.

The government says the money is part of a new strategy to combat human trafficking that the province is developing.

Premier Doug Ford says every day across Ontario, young women and children are being robbed of their safety and dignity by human traffickers.

The government says about two-thirds of Canada's police-reported human trafficking violations are in Ontario.

More than half of the $20 million will be going to prevention and services for victims, including emergency and transitional housing and trauma-informed counselling.

An Ontario Provincial Police anti-human trafficking team that co-ordinates information sharing will be getting $2.2 million in funding.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2019.