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Short on trafficking
“Trafficking in person shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.”
This is how the UN defines human trafficking.
The United Nations estimates that more than 700,000 men, women and children are trafficked worldwide each year. Not only do trafficked victims end up in the sex industry, but forced labour in factories, agriculture and private homes is also widespread. UN describes trafficking as the fastest growing trade in organised crime.
In Denmark, victims of trafficking are mainly seen in the sex industry. The Danish National Police estimates that trafficking in women to Denmark has been on the increase since 2002. The profit generated by forced prostitution can be compared to that generated by drug trafficking.
According to the police, about 2,500 foreign women work in the Danish sex industry. Most of them are from Asia, Eastern and Central Europe and Africa.
About 250 of these women are from Nigeria and Uganda.
Some of the women are lured with promises of legitimate work. Others know even before they come to Denmark that they are going to work in prostitution. It is, however, common to the women that they must work to pay back large fictional debts to their traffickers. The traffickers often change the originally agreed terms of work and force the women to perform sexual services on a scale and of a nature that they do not want.
Denmark helps trafficked victims in various ways if they dare escape from their traffickers and come forward to the authorities. Amongst others, the Nest International runs a drop-in centre for foreign prostitutes and the centre performs outreach work in the streets.
However, many victims find it difficult to come forward and seek help, says lawyer Ann-Sofie Bech. She stresses that the women need help and support from people who know the system and are ready to become personally involved in the women’s often tragic and violent life stories.
So far three victims of trafficking have been granted asylum in Denmark because they are in danger of being subjected to victimisation by their traffickers if they are sent home. Two of the cases are described on the website of the Danish Refugee Board.
Based on the UN definition of trafficking, the Danish Parliament passed a special provision, namely section 262 a of the Danish Penal Code. The section provides that traffickers may be sentenced to a maximum of eight years’
imprisonment.
Sources:
United Nations Information Centre for the Nordic Countries
The National Police: "Strategy for stronger police actions against the
traffickers of prostitutes"
WHEN CHRISTIAN SPEAKS WITH THE AFFECTED WOMEN THEY TELL HIM
That they have been locked up, raped and beaten by the traffickers in their home countries before they are sent to Europe. The traffickers use systematic violence to break down the will and psychological strength of their victims. The violence continues while the women work in forced prostitution in Europ
That they are forced to undergo dangerous and sometimes fatal abortions if they become pregnan
That the debts that the women must pay vary from 45,000 euros to 100,000 euros. The women are told that the debts cover the costs for, among other things, false passports, transport and accommodation
That their passports are seized when the women come to Europ
That they are controlled by a so-called “mama” when they walk the streets of Vesterbro in Copenhagen. The mama takes their money, keeps track of the number of customers the women service and tell the traffickers if the women make a mistak
That the most common type of accommodation is that several women live together in an apartment or a house. They go to the streets late at night and come home early the next mornin
That their bodies are stigmatised like cattle with brands and tattoos. The marks tell who owns the woman. Most women do not know their owner and never know the owner’s real name. The women only have contact with the mamas and other intermediaries
WITH REGARDS TO THE WOMEN HE SEES, CHRISTIAN NOTES:
That they have lost faith in other people and fear both the police and other public officials
That they live in constant fear and have no will of their own - although they may seem both wayward and loud when customers and other people approach them in the streets
That sometimes the women’s very rude behaviour is a way of survival: when they go through the process of revealing their stories to Christian, they change and their trauma and vulnerability become obvious
That the women momentarily fall into complete apathyThat the women are ashamed of their lives in forced prostitution
The information comes from Christian and his conversations with about 16
affected women. The information should not be considered information on
trafficking as a general phenomenon but should be read as personal statements |