UN Special Rapporteur urges Italy to “rekindle its fight to end human trafficking”
ROME (20 September 2013) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and
children, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, today called on the Government of Italy to further boost and coordinate its national
anti-trafficking response.
“Italy needs to rekindle its fight to end human trafficking, especially the unabated exploitation of the prostitution of
foreign women and girls,” Ms. Ezeilo said* at the end of her official visit to Italy, from 12 to 20 September 2013,
during which she examined the situation of trafficked individuals and assessed the impact of anti-trafficking measures
in the country.
“The phenomenon of trafficking in persons in Italy is unfortunately growing in scale and traffickers are getting more
daring in exploitation and abuse of their victims,” the human rights expert said, while acknowledging the authorities
resolve to combat all forms of trafficking.
Sexual exploitation, especially involving women from Nigeria and Eastern Europe, is the most prevalent and documented
form of trafficking in Italy. The Arab uprisings affecting Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria, has further exacerbated the
problem of migrant inflow, smuggling and trafficking in persons for labour and sexual exploitation. Trafficked persons
in Italy are international in character with a growing number from Latin America and Asia.
The expert noted that Italian legislation is quite comprehensive, and covers the phenomenon of trafficking in persons
which is considered equally serious as mafia, terrorism and subversion crimes. However, she stressed, “The
anti-trafficking measures initiated by the Government require continuing monitoring and evaluation if significant
progress is to be made and the vicious cycle broken.”
Ms. Ezeilo recalled that preventing and combating all forms of trafficking in persons and protecting trafficked victims
within Italian territory is the responsibility of the Government. “As such,” she said, “there is a need for a national
approach and also in equal emphasis on combating all forms of trafficking not just sex trafficking.”
“There is a need to develop a comprehensive anti-trafficking approach based on 5Ps (protection, prosecution, punishment,
prevention, promoting international cooperation and partnership), 3Rs (redress, recovery and reintegration) and 3Cs
(capacity, cooperation and coordination), guided by international human rights law and standards,” Ms. Ezeilo said.
The Special Rapporteur’s visit to Italy took her to Rome, Venice, Turin, Palermo, Naples, Caserta and Castel Volturno
where she met relevant national and local government officials, involved in the fight against trafficking in persons, as
well as civil society organizations who are the backbone of the fight against this scourge in Italy.
“More importantly, I met with a large number of victims from Africa, Europe, Asia and South America, including women,
girls and men benefiting from assistance or awaiting deportation,” she underscored. I also visited the Le Vallette
prison in Turin and two Centres of Identification and Expulsion (CIE) for irregular migrants.
Ms. Ezeilo will present her findings and recommendations in a comprehensive report to the UN Human Rights Council in
2014.
Two stories
“I met and listened to sad tales of several victims of sex and labour trafficking across Italy. X, a 21 year old
Nigerian girl travelled by plane from Nigeria transiting through Turkey, Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia before arriving in
Italy by train. Not only was she trafficked but was held in debt bondage as her father back in Edo Sate had put up his
land as collateral for the payment of the 60,000 euros fee illegal contract to bring her to Europe. The young woman was
moved from Turin to Milan and Paris to sell her body in order to repay her debt. She was rescued following a random
identification check in Italy where she now benefits from assistance. However, X has to lie to her parents that she is
being detained as they are asking her to send money and to ensure she keeps to terms in repaying her traffickers. The
traffickers have continued to threaten her family back in Nigeria since her disappearance from their radar.’’
“I still recall vividly the traumatized face of an Asian woman victim of trafficking for labour exploitation who was
forced to work in a sweatshop sewing all day. She was victim of violence by her so called boyfriend who exploited her
during which she lost her sight and suffered severe injuries on her hand for which she underwent surgery and now
recuperating in a shelter. Her determination to survive despite her traumatizing experience reminds us of a collective
responsibility to bring succour to trafficked persons.”
(*) Check the full end-of-mission statement: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13759=E
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Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (Nigeria) started her mandate as Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and
children in August 2008. She is independent from any government and serves in her individual capacity. Ms. Ezeilo is a
human rights lawyer and professor at the University of Nigeria. She has served in various governmental capacities and
consulted for various international organizations. She has published extensively on a variety of topics, including human
rights, women’s rights, and Sharia law. Learn more, log on to:http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Trafficking/Pages/TraffickingIndex.aspx
OHCHR Country Page – Italy: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/ENACARegion/Pages/ITIndex.aspx
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