Police
control find a Nigerian woman working as a prostitute in the outskirt
of Turin.The plight of trafficked Nigerian women forced to work in the
sex trade has been highlighted by Paris-based photographer Elena
Perlino, originally from Italy. These Nigerian women are being
trafficked to Italy under the pretence that they will be working as
nannies or in factories – but often end up working the streets as
prostitutes.
She began to notice the presence of young African women working on the streets during her commutes from Turin. She said:
‘I
decided to start from this surreal vision to tell a story. I have been
working on the topic for several years, focusing mainly on the Italian
connection.’
A Nigerian called Faith having a blood test at the Amedeo di Savoia Hospital in Turin
Perlino
reveals that many Nigerian women come to Italy hoping to make enough
money from honest work as nannies or factory workers to support their
families back home, but are tricked by traffickers into working in the
sex trade. Arrests, violence and abuse often follow.
This photograph shows a Nigerian woman waiting for a client in the summer season
Traffickers
demand on average more than 50,000 euros (US $60,000) for travel
expenses and accommodation, with the women having to work as prostitutes
until their debts are paid off. Eighty per cent of women trafficked to
Italy come from Benin City, Edo State, in south Nigeria.
Nigerian women working as prostitutes in the North area of Turin
The photographer explained: ‘My work attempts to show a complex phenomenon that crosses Italy from North to South.
‘This
involves many cities including Turin, Milan, Genoa, Rome, Naples and
Palermo and thousands of Nigerian and Italian people.’The
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime declared Nigeria among the top
eight countries with the highest human trafficking rates in the world.
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