Action Programme Against the Traffic from Nigeria to Italy of Minors and Young Women for Sexual Exploitation
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ACTION PROGRAMME AGAINST THE TRAFFIC FROM NIGERIA TO ITALY OF MINORS AND YOUNG WOMEN FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION TRADE AND EXPLOITATION OF MINORS AND YOUNG NIGERIAN WOMEN FOR PROSTITUTION IN ITALY RESEARCH REPORT JULY 2003 BY FRANCO PRINA (DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCE –UNIVERSITY OF TURIN) This document may be freely downloaded or printed provided the source is acknowledged, and a copy of the publication or print is forwarded to UNICRI. The opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of UNICRI or UNODC. II LIST OF CONTENTS LIST OF CONTENTS........................................................................................................................................III LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................................................................IV LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................IV FOREWORD......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1. OBJECTIVES AND START OF THE RESEARCH ..................................................................................................... 1 2. INVESTIGATIVE INSTRUMENTS: OUTLINES, QUESTIONNAIRES, DISCLOSURE CARDS ......................................... 2 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................. 5 1. IMMIGRATION FROM NIGERIA TO ITALY: OVERALL VIEW ................................................................................ 5 2. DISTRIBUTION ON ITALIAN TERRITORY AND REASONS FOR STAY ..................................................................... 8 3. A GLANCE AT FOREIGN CRIMINALITY ............................................................................................................. 11 4. A FIRST CLANCE AT NIGERIAN CRIMINALITY ................................................................................................. 17 CHAPTER 1 – WAYS AND PHASES OF RECRUITMENT IN NIGERIA................................................. 19 1.1 THE CONTACT: WHO IS RECRUITED AND THE TYPE OF APPROACH ................................................................ 19 1.2 DECEPTION AND AWARENESS ...................................................................................................................... 21 1.3 SUBJECTION TO MAGIC-RELIGIOUS PRACTICES: THE RITES AND THE COMPULSION BONDS............................ 25 1.4 DEBT AND THE CONTRACT ........................................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER II – THE JOURNEY TOWARDS ITALY ................................................................................... 32 2.1 THE JOURNEY: ROUTES AND ORGANISATION................................................................................................ 32 2.1.1 The routes............................................................................................................................................. 32 2.1.2 Organisational means .......................................................................................................................... 36 2.2 THE JOURNEY SEEN THROUGH THE ACCOUNT OF THE VICTIMS..................................................................... 37 CHAPTER III –DOCUMENTS......................................................................................................................... 47 3.1 DOCUMENTS ATTESTING AN IDENTITY: EUROPEAN, AND AFRICAN PASSPORTS AND PERMISSION TO STAY.. 47 3.2 VISAS........................................................................................................................................................... 49 3.3 CONNIVANCE AND CONTROLS...................................................................................................................... 51 3.4 THE FALSE CONCEPT AND IDENTITY............................................................................................................. 52 CHAPTER IV – LIVING AND WORKING CONDITION OF THE VICTIMS AND THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF THE EXPLOITATION ............................................................................... 54 4.1 START AND MANAGEMENT OF THE EXPLOITATION: LIVING AND WORKING CONDITONS OF THE VICTIMS ..... 54 4.1.1 First impact and start of prostitution activity....................................................................................... 54 4.1.2 Living and working conditions............................................................................................................. 55 4.2 THE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL SYSTEM OF THE EXPLOITATION ........................................................... 59 4.2.1 A feminine management ....................................................................................................................... 59 4.2.2 Areas and forms of control................................................................................................................... 62 4.2.3 Control between psychological subjection and resort to violence towards the victim and her family. 65 CHAPTER V – THE ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEM OF THE TRAFFICKING OF MINORS AND WOMEN FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION.................................................................................................... 69 5.1 ORGANISED CRIME? .................................................................................................................................... 69 5.2 THE RAMIFICATION OF THE STRUCTURE....................................................................................................... 70 5.2.1 The cluster development as a mechanism of self-reproduction............................................................ 72 5.2.2 The capacity to exploit occasions: the example of the request for asylum........................................... 73 5.3 TIES TO OTHER CRIMINALITY OR OTHER ORIGINS......................................................................................... 74 III 5.4 THE USE OF THE PROCEEDS OF EXPLOITATON OF PROSTITUTION: LEGAL AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES ............. 76 5.4.1 Re-investment in prostitution: the contribution or osusu ..................................................................... 76 5.4.2 Sending money to Nigeria and its legal use at home............................................................................ 77 5.4.3 The links to the drug trade ................................................................................................................... 78 5.4.4 Investment in Italy in legal activity ...................................................................................................... 81 CHAPTER VI – THE END OF THE EXPLOITATION ................................................................................ 82 6.1 EXTINCTION OF THE DEBT AND THE CHOICE OF AUTONOMY ........................................................................ 82 6.2 TAKEN IN CHARGE BY ORGANISATIONS ....................................................................................................... 86 6.2.1 The first contact ................................................................................................................................... 86 6.2.2 The discussions on the possibility of breaking the pact........................................................................ 87 6.2.3 Obligation to denounce or only adhesion to the social project?.......................................................... 89 6.2.4 Taken in charge and the start of a new life .......................................................................................... 90 6.2.5 Autonomy ............................................................................................................................................. 91 CHAPTER VII – CONCLUSIVE CONSIDERATIONS: SITUATIONS, OPEN QUESTIONS, PROPOSALS AND WORK TRACKS ............................................................................................................. 93 7.1 THE SITUATION IN SYNTHESIS ...................................................................................................................... 93 7.2. PROPOSALS AND WORK TRACKS.................................................................................................................. 99 7.2.1 The fight against criminality ................................................................................................................ 99 7.2.2 Improvement in the support action for the victims............................................................................. 107 7.2.3 Possibilities of prevention and intervention in Nigeria...................................................................... 109 ADDENDUM..................................................................................................................................................... 112 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 – Immigrants staying: number and increase in national groups 1991-2001.......................................... 5 Table 2 – Socio-economic situation of the major countries of origin of immigrants from outside the EU in Italy........................................................................................................................................................................