500 Nigerian victims of forced prostitution killed in Italy
Saturday, 01 January 2011 01:22 | 
Research by the Association of Benin City Girls calls for better protection for victims
More than 500 Nigerian girls and women have been killed in Italy in the recent years. They were all victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution, a new research has revealed.
The research carried out by the Association of Benin City Girls, was financed by the Government’s Equal Opportunities Department.
Three Nigerian former victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution conducted the research, headed by Ms. Isoke Aikpitanyi, the founder and spokesperson of the Association of Benin City Girls, the only association of victims and former victims of human trafficking in Italy.
They interviewed more than a thousand new Nigerian victims of human trafficking in Italy.
One of the key findings of the research is that the number of Nigerian girls and women forced into prostitution in Italy continues to grow day by day, but very few manage to find a way out.
Most of the victims are minor children, and they are usually brought to the country upon an agreement to repay a loan which keeps on growing in order to force them into prostitution for a much longer period.
The average amount each victim must pay for her freedom is 80,000 Euros. This in fact forces them to work every day, whether they are sick, have their periods, are pregnant, etc. Whether it’s hot or cold, the girls and women must go out to look for clients.
The research underlines the fact that prostitution is a very complex issue and warns against the common belief that most prostitutes freely decided to become prostitutes.
Even though many of them easily claim that they chose to become prostitutes and enjoy doing it, in reality this is just a mask they’ve learnt to put on to hide the fact that they are convinced there is no way out.
While there may be people who willingly decide to become prostitutes, this research however, shows that none of the victims interviewed chose to become a prostitute.
The research reveals that there are at least 10,000 female pimps (maman) in Italy managing human trafficking and girls and women forced into prostitution.
The exploiters usually hijack children of their victims so as to blackmail them and force them not to rebel. At least 50% of the victims have performed clandestine abortions, the research shows.
All the Nigerian girls who are victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution in Italy are managed by the Nigerian mafia, the research shows. It also reveals that human trafficking and forced prostitution are just two of the many activities carried out by the Nigerian mafia in the country, which Isoke describes as “one of the most dangerous in the world.” She adds that the Nigerian mafia is specialized in human trafficking especially of women and girls for forced prostitution, men for forced labour, organs, drugs, and arms.
The survey also reveals that social assistants find it very difficult to approach victims of human trafficking because they live in isolation and underground. This makes it difficult to help the victims find their way out.
Even though the Government has banned street prostitution, the research shows that there are still some Nigerian girls and women working on the streets. There is an increasing tendency of transporting them from one area to another, depending on where there is a high concentration of clients and less inspection by the police.
It emerges that the public opinion is not informed of the dramatic situations in the Identification and Expulsion Centres where irregular immigrants are taken before being deported from Italy.
The research also shows that deportation of girls forced into prostitution is not a solution at all to their problem.
Even after deportation, the girls are still under the control of their exploiters who do arrange for them to go to new destinations for the same work, or be marginalized if not killed.
A truly worrying finding of this research is that many Nigerian churches and associations in Italy are accomplices of traffickers. The research reveals that some of them actively collaborate with human traffickers while others are aware of their activities but avoid doing something for fear.
The role of former clients in saving victims of forced prostitution also emerges from this research. Most of the prostitutes and victims of human trafficking who escaped from traffickers were assisted by a client or a former client. This is why the research calls for a campaign to inform the clients of the important role they can play in saving the victims of forced prostitution.
The former victims of trafficking should be involved as peer counsellors and social operators in anti-trafficking operations, the research recommends. It also recommends national campaigns to inform the public of the real situation of the victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution.
The research recommends implementation of the recently adopted European norms calling for tougher penalties for traffickers and better protection for victims.
Recognising the important role former victims of human trafficking can play in helping the new victims, the research recommends involving them in a national campaign in Nigeria to inform potential victims of what they risk if trafficked to Europe. It also recommends establishing care homes for the victims where the former victims of human trafficking play key roles in supporting the new victims and working as peer counsellors. This is supported by the fact that many former victims are ready to help the new victims, especially the very young ones.
It is equally important to help the victims re-establish relationships with their families in their home countries, the research suggests, in addition to a national campaign to raise awareness of the Nigerian mafia.
The research recommends simplifying the bureaucratic procedures in order to make it easier for the victims to seek help.
Isoke says that the Association of Benin City Girls receives so many requests for help from victims of forced prostitution, but with limited resources, they find it difficult to help all of them. We’d like to appeal to all public institutions, private companies and individuals to support the Association of Benin City Girls and all other similar associations helping the victims. People in need of help to save their lives should never find doors closed.
ASSOCIATION OF BENIN CITY GIRLS
If you are a victim of forced prostitution or if you know a victim in need of help, please contact the
Association of Benin City Girls using the following contacts:
Tel: 346 9406053
Email: isoke.aikpitanyi@gmail.com
By Stephen Ogongo Ongong’a
news
2 comments:
we the AFRICAN lions LIBERATION force HAVE made effort to communicate to the nigeria government through its ANTI-human traffick agency ,offering the most modern technology to stop nigeria citizens prostitutes, all fell in deaf ears.hence no body cares!
DONNE ITALIANE, SE A FERRAGOSTO IL CELLULARE DI VOSTRO MARITO SUONA, E' UNA DI NOI, NIGERIANA, VITTIMA DELLA TRATTA A CHIAMARE, LUI E' UNO DEI NOSTRI CLIENTI.
Oggi, 15 agosto 2010, noi, nigeriane, vittime della tratta, clandestine, prostitute, ricordiamo che LA TRATTA NON VA IN VACANZA.
Siamo in balia di almeno 10 mila maman che vivono in Italia e prendono i nostri soldi; loro non sono clandestine, non si prostituiscono. Un tempo erano come noi, ma ora sono legate fra di loro, mettono insieme ingenti somme di denaro. Non è difficile: noi paghiamo a loro 50-60 mila euro e anche di più.
Noi rischiamo il fermo, l'arresto, l'invio in un CIE, il rimpatrio, loro NO, loro sono libere e, se qualcuna di noi le denuncia, loro se la cavano in fretta. Anzitutto perché sono legali, sono italiane, al massimo sono considerate colpevoli di favorire la nostra clandestinità, ma quanto a sfruttarci dicono che ci lasciano in mano parte dei nostri guadagni e si prendono solo i soldi per l'affitto, la luce, il gas, le spese di condominio.
Ognuna di loro ha tante donne e uomini che le aiutano e vivono alle nostre spalle. Le associazioni e le comunità del nostro paese sanno tutto, ma non dicono e non fanno niente. Neanche i pastori delle chiese nere fanno qualcosa, anzi, molti aiutano le maman.
E così anche oggi, per noi, è una giornata di lavoro. Sì perché, alla fin fine, siamo considerate e diventiamo soltanto delle prostitute. Ce n'è poco di lavoro in giro: oggi i bravi maschi italiani sono in ferie con le loro famiglie e con i loro figli. Dieci milioni di clienti in giro per l'Italia c'è la crisi, ma loro vanno in vacanza lo stesso.
I più assidui sono passati da noi qualche giorno fa e ci hanno lasciato qualche soldo, chi venti, chi 25 euro, qualcuno addirittura 50, per il nostro ferragosto, così facciamo festa anche noi, magari un gelato, poi da lunedì torna tutto come prima.
Ma oggi noi li chiameremo ad uno ad uno questi nostri clienti, giusto uno squillo, tanto perché le loro mogli possano interrogarsi e chiedere ma chi è che disturba anche oggi? e i mariti siano costretti a far finta di niente. E se qualche donna vorrà verificare il numero che ha chiamato, beh! quello sarà il nostro numero verde, il numero di Joy, lamore mio, la bellissima, la fighetta nera dei loro mariti. Siamo comunque qui, anche oggi in strada o nelle case, a disposizione dei maschi più disperati e soli e degli stranieri senza famiglia.
Oggi noi chiameremo al telefono anche tutti i numeri che ci sono stati dati dalle unità di strada, dagli operatori, dai clienti, dai preti, da persone di buona volontà con il suggerimento chiama qui, vedrai che ti aiutano. Non ci risponderà nessuno oggi, Ferragosto 2010, anche se la tratta non va in ferie, ma gli italiani sì, e anche le loro associazioni contro i trafficanti e i mafiosi.
Speriamo, allora, che i giornali, le radio, le tv trasformino questo nostro testo di protesta in una notizia di cronaca di questo Ferragosto italiano 2010.
Associazione vittime ed ex vittime della tratta - Progetto la ragazza di Benin City
Isoke Aikpitanyi
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