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Nigeria. From 1996 in Benin City and in Edo State, the origin of the majority ofgirls sent to prostitution in Italy, the work of many Nigerian women is well known.In addition, there has been an increase in the number of forced repatriationsprovoking a certain reverberation in Nigerian public opinion. Further as in Italy hasgrown the activity of associations, NGOs, social services occupying themselveswith the phenomenon has grown, and has contributed to increasing the knowledgeby the girls to be able to have legal and material support to escape the exploitationof prostitution.Since 1998, various women interviewed affirm “those who come here and saythey don’t know are telling lies” (Interview Victim No.5). The impression isconfirmed by nearly all the social operators interviewed, who however have rarelycollected direct testimony about the knowledge of going along a path ofprostitution. There is in existence a strong resistance to admit this fact by thevictims, who seem mainly to recount the stereotyped accounts which negate theevidence. The interpretation of the operators regarding these accounts, however,goes in the direction of recognising a level of intermediate understanding betweendeception and self-deception.One can talk about self-deception given that the same victims want to believewhat is being offered them, being trustful of the good faith of the persons in thefamily or acquaintances. Despite the fact that the situation of Nigerian women inItaly is already known, they want to convince themselves that for them it will bedifferent; they want to believe in those who offer other types of work in Europe.“This is a thing that I tell you that at Benin City from 1996-1997 it was alreadyknown…yes, there was someone who did not yet believe, but it was something thatwas known…that you go to Italy and 99% you finish up in the prostitution game,but there is someone who says no, there is a lot of other work, if you want moneyyou can even go to prostitute yourself…and then there are other that do notbelieve…why do we trust persons who then make us finish up as prostitutes. Howdisgusting! I think that many girls are still there until today” (Interview VictimNo.7).In different cases the girls refer to the fact that it is known that in Italy theNigerian women prostitute themselves, but this “vox populi” concerns only Italy;therefore, faced with an offer to travel to another destination (Spain in particular)they feel re-assured.“Because they told me that I was going to Spain and not to Italy (…). InNigeria everyone knows that in Italy the girls come to make prostitution. But wewho are here now know that also in Germany, Spain, etc. make prostitution (…) ifyou return to Nigeria and say that you arrived from Germany, Holland they thinkthat that person went to do regular work ” (Interview Victim No.8).“There is someone who made fun of me and told me that if I wanted to go toGermany to work in a school, I would teach English (…) in Nigeria I taught fortwo years in secondary schools (…) then one day before departure they told methat there were problems to go to Germany so I had to come here to Italy, thenafter a few weeks someone come and take me to Germany. But it wasn’t so”(Interview Victim No.15).