200
Nigerian Girls Trafficked to Russia Monthly
21 Jun 2013
Terseer adamu (Review)
HumanTrafficking
Not
even the adverse weather conditions in Russia is enough deterrent for Nigerian
human traffickers as no fewer than 200 Nigerian girls are trafficked every
month to Russia for prostitution, says Nigeria’s ambassador to Russia, Asam
Asam.
Asam,
who spoke against the backdrop of consular challenges faced by the embassy,
disclosed this in an interview with the Europe Correspondent of the News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) in Berlin.
An
investigation revealed that the crime has declined in Western Europe following strict
laws on illegal migration, and joint efforts by Nigeria and the governments of
those countries to curb the menace.
However,
attention has shifted to Eastern Europe as the new destination for the trade.
In the last decade, Italy had seemed the capital of human trafficking,
especially for young girls who were lured to the country by a mafia gang under
the pretext that some house keeping or floor sales jobs had been arranged for
them. But they ended up serving as prostitutes on the street of many European
countries.
According
to Asam, “The major consular challenge we face in Moscow is the influx of
trafficked persons from Nigeria, not less than 200 girls are trafficked every
month, and we have so many of them exposed to danger.
“Some
are thrown out of the window and treated harshly, there must be a way of
stopping these racketeering; these girls are not tourists, students or
government officials, yet they are given visas from the Russian embassy in
Abuja.
“So
far we have deported over 240 girls since 2012. You will be shocked at the
extent of resistance from the girls. We tell them Russia is not a destination
for prostitutes, yet they still come.”
He
said the mission tries to curb the menace by arranging deportation exercises
for those caught, but the challenges are enormous.
According
to NAN, the envoy said such interventions would be more effective at the point
of entry, saying “the strategy is to stop them from Nigeria, and fish out those
involved in the trade.”
“For
instance a well-known Russian human trafficker who has been in the trade for
about 20 years was caught in Nigeria. The National Agency for the Prohibition
of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) was on the verge of releasing her before I filed
a protest from Moscow to the Comptroller General of Immigration,” Asam
stressed.
He
said even the parents of those trafficked encourage their children. “I spoke to
the mother of one of the girls and she said her daughter should remain in
Moscow and try to survive the ordeal, this is very sad indeed coming from one’s
parent,” he said.
He
tasked the media on sensitising the public on the dangers of trafficking in
Russia, saying: “This East European nation has become a new destination for
them, and believe me it is a very big crime here.”
Asam,
however, said other Nigerians who reside in that country were students and
professionals in various fields. Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
aside from NAPTIP have been involved in the crusade against human trafficking
in Nigeria.
Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/200-nigerian-girls-trafficked-to-russia-monthly/151106/
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