By Chinyere Aruogu
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has hinted that thousands of Nigerians heading for Europe were actually going for prostitution.
It said on Friday, July 21that such migrants were in great danger on arrival in Europe, particularly Italy.
Spokesman of IOM, Flavio Di Giacomo told a news conference in Geneva that ne fewer that 4,000 girls from Nigeria arrived Italy this year alone for prostitution.
Giacomo noted that most of the female Nigerians were not only minors naive about their fate at the hands of traffickers, but that they arrived by sea in Italy. He said their number surged over the past three years from 1,454 in 2014 to 11,000 in 2016.
The IOM noted that based on data collected at landing sites, it is believed that 80 per cent of the girls were “potential victims” of sex trafficking.
Said Giacomo: “These girls, who are increasingly younger every year, are brought to Italy and to Europe for sexual exploitation.
“They are taken by traffickers and then they are forced to be prostitutes in the streets in Italy.
“And sometimes, as far as we know, these girls are also sent to other European countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and Austria.
“Many of the Nigerian girls are from poor families in Edo, who are psychologically manipulated during a voodoo ritual before leaving.”
He noted that they are always accompanied by a madam-linked to the traffickers on the long journey through Niger and Libya.
He added: “The increasing number of minors arriving really do not have any idea even what prostitution is, what sex is.
“But, many of them understand the real purpose of this journey because many times they are forced to prostitute themselves in Niger, in Libya especially, in brothels there.
“So they understand they are not going to work as hairdressers.
“IOM officials try to intercept the Nigerian girls at landing points and inform them about the prostitution ring and their right to protection.”
Giacomo said that the agency which had helped those who decided to flee the networks reported the cases of 425 girls in 2016 to police.
His words: “A few days ago, we had the story of this young girl, a 17-year-old girl.
“She has been told she was going to work at a hair salon; she didn’t have any idea she was going to be forced to prostitute herself.
“It was only when she arrived she found out that it was not real.
“The job was a lie and she was forced to become a prostitute, which was the only way to pay off the debt of the journey.
“She was forced to be out on the streets for 12 hours a day.”
4000 Nigerian Girls Arrive Italy In 2017 For Prostitution
