Voices of Nigerian Women Survivors of Trafficking Held in Italian Centres for Identification and Expulsion

Abstract

This article examines the vicissitudes that affect the migration trajectories of many Nigerian women who experienced trafficking before arriving in Italy, and end up in Centers for Identification and Expulsion (CIE) for undocumented migrants. Their life stories, collected within the CIE of Ponte Galeria (Rome), revealed violence as "a rule of action" with which these women are obliged to cope with at different levels. Moreover, they highlighted the failure of traditional security approaches to human trafficking, and the necessity to rethink the measures adopted to ensure survivors' protection and rights. As it is conceived, the system of immigration control prevents the full guarantee of survivors' rights, often labelling them as "illegal migrants". Finally, there is the need to extend protection to all survivors of human trafficking even if the crime against them has not happened in Italy.

Gender, Vulnerability and Everyday Resistance in Immigration Detention: Women’s Experiences of Confinement in a Portuguese Detention Facility

“…In our interview she described a tortuous journey from Nigeria to Europe. Similar to the accounts of other women trafficked from Nigeria (Esposito et al 2016;Esposito, Ornelas, Scirocchi et al 2019;Taliani 2012), her story involved several stages, each one characterised by multiple obstacles and extreme violence. After all the difficulties she experienced, Julia was apprehended by the police in the city of Porto, where her exploiters had forced her into sex work.…”

“…They have also to prove that 'coercion' played a crucial role in their migration and further provide verifiable information relevant for criminal prosecution. As a result, many women are not able to get access to legal safeguards and become a target of state-sponsored violence, which includes their arrest, detention (often for extensive periods and in very harsh conditions) and, eventually, deportation (Esposito et al 2016;Esposito, Ornelas, Scirocchi et al 2019;Rigo 2019).…”

Understanding Violence against Women Irregular Migrants Who Arrive in Spain in Small Boats

“…In the detention stage [30], WIMs feel exhausted and uncertain of what their future holds. WIMs need emergency care that meets their physical, psychological, and spiritual needs [43,44]. According to Women's Link Worldwide [35], our results suggest looking for signs of coercion, presence of "madames", violence, and human trafficking, getting them to break their silence and allowing them to communicate with friends and family.…”

Ecology of Sites of Confinement: Everyday Life in a Detention Center for Illegalized Non‐citizens

“…Inside Ponte Galeria we met ex‐prisoners, recently arrived migrants lacking documentation, visa over‐stayers, people brought up or even born in Italy, but not recognized as citizens (Italian citizenship law is largely based on jus sanguinis ), asylum seekers, stateless persons, and even EU citizens regarded as a “threat to public order and security” (authorized by Legislative Decree 30/2007 and its following amendments). Among female detainees, many were victims of gendered violence (Beretta et al, ; Esposito, Quinto, De Masi, Gargano, & Costa, ). Detainees’ nationalities also varied substantially.…”