Agreement signed with Italy to combat human trafficking

Nigeria and Italy have signed an agreement to cooperate in combating human trafficking under the auspices of the United Nations. A statement on Wednesday by the UN Information Service, Geneva, said the agreement was reached within a framework prepared by the UN Inter-regional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) aimed at stopping the trafficking of minors and young women from Nigeria to Italy for sexual exploitation. The agreement was signed in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Tuesday by Nigeria's Minister of Justice Akinlolu Olujinmi and Italy’s Prosecutor-General of the Directorate of Anti-Mafia Pierluigi Vigna, the statement said. During the past decade tens of thousands of Nigerian women have been smuggled by sophisticated criminal rings into Italy, where they are forced into prostitution and debt bondage. According to UNICRI director Alberto Bradanini, the women brought into the sex industry often earn up to 3,000 Euros (US $3,492) a month for their bosses, who usually require them to pay off debts for accommodation and travel expenses in the region of 50,000-60,000 Euros ($58,200-$69,840) in order to be free. Under the programme covered by the bilateral agreement, both countries will exchange information on the activities of traffickers. Italy will also provide training for Nigerian law enforcement agencies to improve their expertise in dealing with issues related to trafficking. "Given the transnational nature of human trafficking, the best way to combat this new form of slavery is through international cooperation," said Bradanini. Between 2000-2002, about 3,591 women forced into the sex industry in Italy have been included in social protection schemes. Of these,1,895 of them have been issued permits to stay . A further 14,378 women victims of human trafficking have received social support. The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, also known as the Palermo Convention, came into effect on 23 September 2003. Its supplementary protocol on trafficking in women and children will come into force on 25 December 2003. "The Convention and its supplementary Protocol will provide a common international legal space, which will represent a crucial step forward in the fight against trafficking in human beings."