Slide 1 : Identification of victims of trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation within mixed migration flows arriving to the Mediterranean region
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Migration flows towards Italy and Europe : Migration flows towards Italy and Europe Mixed flows:
Upon arrival:
- potential asylum seekers;
- refugees;
- migrants (economic, voluntary migration);
- victims of smuggling;
- victims of trafficking for sexual or labour exploitation;
- unaccompanied minors;
- elderly;
- sick migrants;
Slide 3 :
Slide 4 : What is trafficking in human beings?
besides definitions….there is growing agreement that "trafficking in human beings" involves movement of people for the purpose of placing them in forced labor or other forms of involuntary servitude.
"trafficking in human beings" includes trafficking for sexual as well as non-sexual purposes, and all actions along the trafficking chain, from the initial recruitment (or abduction) of the trafficked person to the end purpose or result - the exploitation of the victim's person or labor….(Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe)
Slide 5 : Fundamental elements of the crime of trafficking:
The act: movement of the victim (entry, stay, get out of a country);
Modality of coercion: violence, abuse, deception;
Scope: sexual, labor or other forms of exploitation;
The fact that a victim might decide voluntarily to leave the country using illegal channels or availing herself of the “help” of traffickers does not imply that s/he is not a victim of trafficking When can we talk of trafficking?
Identification of victims 1° Phase “pre- interview”: : Identification of victims 1° Phase “pre- interview”: Assessment of specific indicators (to be noted before the individual interview);
Age (always younger, but also elderly and people with specific handicap for begging purposes...);
Sex (majority women and minors). Majoriry men when the trafficking is for labor exploitation purposes;
Nationality (ex. Nigeria – Edo State);
Documentation (lack of IDs);
Evident signs of phisical or mental abuse;
First impact on the maturity of the potential victim;
Identification of victims 2° Phase “the interview” : Identification of victims 2° Phase “the interview” Things to do before the interview:
Doubt on age – the migrant should be always be considered as a minor;
Carry out the interview in privacy – no breaks, interruptions;
Besides the interviewer only the psycologist, the lawyer and the cultural mediator;
Cell off;
Don’t judge or make statements;
Try to make the victim feel at her/his ease;
Identification of victims 2° Phase “the interview” : Identification of victims 2° Phase “the interview” Things to say before the interview:
Introduce the interviewer and his/her role;
Ensure that the potential victim feels safe and protected;
Verify that the potential victim is not suffering from urgent medical problems;
Explain that the interviewer's notes are for his own use;
Explain the purpose of the interview and that the questions will be focused on the migration history of the potential victim of trafficking;
Explain that some of the subjects that will be touched could be painful for the migrant;
Give the migrant the time to answer;
The more information the more possibilities to be helped;
Verify that the potential victim of trafficking doesn't have any preliminary doubt on the content and the purpose of the interview;
Standard interview : Standard interview General questions:
How have you been contacted by the “agent/recruiter”? (family/newspapers/agencies...);
How did you get here? Have you ever be subjected to any form of violence?
What did the agent promise you? Did s/he speak about a specific job? What kind of job did the agent promise you?
Who paid for the trip?
Did you pay anything before you leave? Did you contract any debt?
What countries have you crossed during the trip? How many times did you stop? Do you remember the names of cities/villages..?
Did you have the same agent for the entire trip? (victims can be sold several times);
Did the agent ever provide you with forged documents?
Have you ever had any ID, and if so where is it now?
Have you stayed in a specific city, and if so, how long?
Have you been subject to violence? (many women are raped during the trip/others are forced to do prostitution);
If any form of exploitation has already taken place.. : If any form of exploitation has already taken place.. What kind of activity have you carried out since you have arrived here?
How much did you usually earn?
What were the conditions of work like? (hours/context...) – case of Chinese/Indians
Could you keep the money you gained for yourself?
Do you have to pay for any debt?
Were you free to make decisions or move?
Urgent measures in favour of victims of trafficking : Urgent measures in favour of victims of trafficking Urgent medical assistance;
Psychological assistance;
Separate the victim from other nationals that could be involved at any level in the trafficking chain;
Transfer of the victim into specialised structures;
Non cooperation of the victims : Non cooperation of the victims Difficulties in establishing a trustful relationship with the victims (need of experienced cultural mediators);
Victims are often afraid of possible retaliations in their country of origin;
Victims might know that they are going to be exploited but don’t have idea of the level of exploitation;
Debt;
Modalities of coercion/abuse (rituals joojoo);
Interviewers don’t have to force the victim to talk.
In some cases there is simply a breaking point.
If the victim doesn’t want to cooperate, interviewers can only give all the information about the protection schemes envisaged by law as well as hot lines numbers where to seek protection (in Italy: 800 290 290)
Trafficking for sexual exploitation – the Nigerian case : Trafficking for sexual exploitation – the Nigerian case The majority of the women are young (20-24 years old) and unaccompanied;
Most of them come from Edo State (Benin city and nearby villages);
Most of them report to have been abandoned, to be orphans;
The majority of the women report they have been helped for the trip by “good Samaritan”;
The majority of them simply say they have not paid for the trip;
Most of them say they have arrived in order to work as hairdresser or to start up a small business;
Trafficking for labor exploitation – the Morocco case : Trafficking for labor exploitation – the Morocco case 1000 Morocco nationals stranded in a small town in the Campania Region (Italy);
Most of them entered with a regular visa (as seasonal workers);
Most of them got valid passports;
All of them, contracting debts, paid around 7000 Euro to an “agent”;
The majority once in Italy could not regularize their position as the employers (who have been paid by the agents) just disappeared;
Most of them ended up in an abandoned camp and found a job in the collection of water melons;
All of them became irregular and did not have the money to go back to their country of origin;
Slide 15 : One definition of smuggling is:
…consensual, yet illicit, transportation of individuals across national borders..
Fundamental elements of the crime:
Consent of the victim;
No exploitation in country of destination;
Smugglers “just” take care of the transfer of the victims;
Can smuggling and trafficking overlap? (what happens if one person who has been previously smuggled is later exploitated?In this case can we still talk about trafficking? Trafficking vs smuggling
Slide 16 : End of session