here - Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo

C H A P T E R I IT h e j o u r n e y t o w a r d s I t a l yThe journey is a fundamental moment in the traffic of women for exploitationof prostitution from Nigeria: and it is the first step towards the exploitation whichwill be undertaken in European countries.In the following two paragraphs the routes and roads are presented as theyemerge from the interviews of the operators and the material analysed. It has beendecided to arrange the information received from the privileged witnesses by theidentification of the different roads followed and to present later the testimony ofthe victims, which confirm the routes described by the operators and offerinteresting knowledge on what could make one want to undertake such a journeyfrom Nigeria to Europe.2.1 The journey: routes and organisationWe shall see what has been possible to know through the operators of the LawEnforcement and the NGOs involved in the sector, as well as through the results ofsome investigations by the police, of the phases which follow the recruitment andwhich concretely make possible the arrival of the girls in the countries ofdestination in Europe, in this case in Italy.The journeys are not all the same and we can affirm that over the years therehave been some important modifications of this aspect of the phenomenon. Whilein the beginning a direct air journey appeared absolutely essential, over the yearsone has witnessed not only a diversification of the departure and arrival airports,but also the appearance of journeys by land through Africa and, in the last period,journeys having an intermediate stop in East Europe.It should be noted how the traffickers seem to be able to very easily redefine theroutes, whether to respond to the intensification of controls, or to take advantage ofinternational events (such as the football World Cup, occasions of pilgrimage ortrips of some musical groups) which involve a notable increase in air traffic and/ora quantitatively significant transfer of citizens not belonging to the EuropeanUnion.It is without doubt that such facility is connected also to a capillary presence, invarious parts of Europe, of persons that can undertake a role of “first reception” forthe exploited woman in transit. Over the years many Nigerian citizens haveemigrated from their land towards Europe, but also to the United States or SouthAmerica. Besides many emigrants who work legally in these countries, there are, asoccurs in all migration situations, persons who live on illegality and act as points ofcontacts for the criminal networks that manage the traffic of persons or drugs.