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In the first years of the traffic of women from Nigeria the debt was certainlylower, around 50 million Lire (about 25,000 Euros) but with the passing of theyears it has progressively increased.For what reason? According to the major part of those interviewed it is notpossible to establish any relationship with the type of girl or the cost of the journey:the debt itself does not vary according to whether the victim is a woman potentiallyable to earn more because she is younger, beautiful or because a longer journey toreach Italy was complex and costly.“It is a historical fact, in the beginning it cost less, now it costs more”(Questura of Udine): faced with this apparent absence of explanations we canimagine that there is, instead, the knowledge that the risks of losing a girl uponarrival has increased by an eventual expulsion or, in itinere, because leaving thework on the street and denouncing those who have profited, or otherwise becauseof the increase of violence on the part of the clients, it is economically moreadvantageous and prudent to request a larger sum of money. Another motive maybe the increase in the costs of the intermediaries or the greed of different subjectsthat participate in the undertaking of the project, who think they can profit more forthe same risks.It should also be said that faced with these greater requests for money there wasnot any particular rebellion: the rebellion, as we will see further on, is connected ifat all - but not always - to “not maintaining the pact”, to the modification of thesum due or to resort to subterfuges.The failed rebellion to the initial request of a large sum in many cases is due tothe absence, on the part of the victim, of a clear perception of the significance ofthat sum, of what it means to be able to earn such a sum of money:“She tells me that I should prostitute myself for her and pay 70 million. I say,what is 70 million because I don’t understand Italian money, she tells me that inour money it is 3 million and 500. With that money you can buy 3, 4 apartments. Isay «But how does one pay? How many years?». She says «Even one year, thereare many who pay that sum»” (Interview Victim No.8).“They explained to me how much this is in Nigerian money, 40,000 dollars, asum with two thousand zeros. Only when the girls come here do they understand…for some girls the cultural level is also so low ” (Questura of Venice).Such a financial pledge in some cases is made official through the signature ofa “contract” before a so-called notary: little is known about what this signatureimplies, the impression, however is that it is a pledge with legal validity in Nigeriainasmuch as in some court cases it is said that the family is formally contested withthe lack of payment of such a sum and for that reason the members of the familyare sent to prison.Apart from legal validity of the contract, it is sure that the family becomesguarantor for the payment and, in the case the girl escapes, the payment is directlyrequested to the family in Nigeria on the part of those who followed the initialphases of the traffic.