What is trafficking?
Trafficking is the fastest growing form of slavery today. Traffickers
use violence, coercion and deception to take people away from
their homes and families, and force them to work against their
will. People are trafficked into domestic work, prostitution,
farm labour, factory work, and other exploitative labour.
A recent United States Government report estimates 800,000-900,000
people are trafficked across borders worldwide each year. Research
indicates at a minimum, hundreds of women and children are trafficked
into the United Kingdom every year. People are lured by promises
of well-paid work, education, or marriage; opportunities unattainable
at home due to poverty, discrimination or war.
People who migrate in search of work are often forced by restrictive
and complicated immigration laws to rely upon third parties to
help them travel. If they are lucky, the person or agency is honest,
if not they find themselves in the hands of a trafficker, whose
only interest is to move them to an unfamiliar location and make
money by exploiting them.
Once the person arrives at their destination, they discover the
promised job does not exist, but they still have to pay back money
for travel, which can be as much as US$40,000. This is inflated
by interest and charges for accommodation and food. When the trafficked
person is paid a fraction of what they were promised, or nothing
at all, it is impossible for them to pay the debt.
Traffickers may use violence, torture, rape and intimidation
to control their victims. Threats against friends and family,
further force the victims to comply with their demands. To make
escape more difficult travel documents and passports are often
taken away, and traffickers tell victims that police are involved
or that they will arrest and deport them to ensure they are too
afraid to escape.
Human trafficking is not new, but is rapidly increasing. Easy
profits made from exploitation, growing deprivation and marginalisation,
discrimination against women, restrictive migration laws, lack
of information and insufficient penalties against traffickers
have contributed to its increase. The United Nations estimates
trafficking in people generates US$7 billion per year.
Trafficking in Albania
The trafficking of women and children became a major issue in
Albania from the 1990s. After almost 50 years of communist rule,
Albania's transition to democracy brought massive social and economic
upheaval in which criminal networks thrived. Gangs used Albania's
geographical position as a gateway into Western Europe, for the
trafficking of drugs, weapons and people.
High levels of unemployment and severe rural poverty, as well
as the traditionally low status of women, have contributed to
an explosion in the trafficking of girls and women from Albania
to countries such as Belgium, France, Greece, Italy and the UK.
Most are from rural areas where families are largely ignorant
of the dangers their daughters face. Although some, driven by
poverty and lack of opportunity, are complicit in the girls' exploitation,
as is seen from Adriana's experience:
When Adriana was 15 her father forced her to marry Driton.
After the wedding, they went to Greece. While staying with Driton's
friends, she overheard them talking about work she was expected
to do; she realised it was prostitution. That night she challenged
Driton, when she refused, he threatened and beat her until she
gave in.
They flew to Paris using false documents. Driton forced her
to work as a prostitute and beat her regularly. Adriana called
her parents and, too ashamed to tell the truth, she told them
she was unemployed and couldn't send money. Her father told her
not to bother lying, he knew what she was doing as he had arranged
it. Adriana later discovered he sold her for two million leke
(US$16,600). Adriana escaped, but was caught by police and returned
to Albania. She is now in The Hearth's shelter and works in a
textile factory, but she does not earn enough to live independently.
There has been little support for the trafficked women returned
to Albania until recently. The Hearth set up the first shelter
for trafficked Albanian girls and women in 2001, and there are
now other shelters in the capital Tirana as well. Women face many
challenges in trying to reintegrate into society. They are socially
excluded due to the stigma attached to prostitution in much of
Albania. They face an ongoing threat from their traffickers who
have lost their "investment", so shelters have to maintain
maximum security to ensure the women's safety. High levels of
unemployment continue to make it difficult for women to find work
to support themselves.
The Government has been slow act. Corrupt local officials often
colluded with traffickers, or at least ignored their activities.
The Government was not convinced trafficking was a genuine problem
and Vera Lesko and other campaigners' work was also frustrated
by authorities' concern that admitting to the problem would damage
Albania's reputation.
The Government, however, has become increasingly receptive to
Vera Lesko and other anti-trafficking campaigners, as well as
to international pressure. In 2001, a national strategy was developed
and a central anti-trafficking unit was established in the Ministry
of Order, with local offices throughout the country.
The problem of trafficking into prostitution reached its peak
in the mid to late-1990s and the number of victims is reported
to have fallen recently. This is in part due to aggressive government
policy, including the stricter policing of the coast between Albania
and Italy. But trafficking remains a serious problem.
Relevant laws against human trafficking
Trafficking in human beings is a criminal offence. In January
2001, the Albanian parliament introduced sentences of five to
15 years for trafficking for prostitution. Corruption and lack
of government protection for victims has made it difficult for
cases to be brought to trial and successfully prosecuted.
Vera
Lesko & The Hearth
