Nigerian officials have already expressed concern that traffickers will take advantage of the World Cup and are taking measures to prevent potential victims from leaving Nigeria’s borders. This work is essential to developing their database of suspects involved in the business. Families in Nigeria sometimes also play a significant role in facilitating trafficking. In response to another question from the same survey, around 41 percent of the respondents blamed the victims for their situation, while another 41 percent believed women were duped by criminal gangs or sold into slavery by parents and friends. In 2012, Russia expelled the United States Agency for International Development, the main source for U.S. government funded anti-trafficking activities in Russia, claiming the aid agency undermined Russia’s sovereignty. Despite repeated warnings from NGOs, Russian authorities declined to support the anti-trafficking measures. As the 2018 World Cup final match came to a close in Russia, the world’s focus moved to 2022 and Qatar, where the next World Cup will be held. The department collects information about diasporas and criminal groups, and it carries out extensive investigations. However, many enslaved people’s focus is … Her father threatened to throw her mother out of their home in Nigeria if Ella did not continue working. There were reports that sexual exploitation had risen by 30 percent in connection with the World Cup in Germany in 2006, and 40 percent at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. Before the recent World Cup tournaments in Brazil, South Africa, and Germany, there were significant outreach campaigns to prevent human trafficking. The vast majority of trafficked women come from Nigeria, where so-called recruitment agencies lure people in with promises of a good job in Russia. Putin Doesn’t Care about Sex Trafficking Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, economic instability, looser travel restrictions, and the absence of a functional legal system facilitated a rise in human trafficking. This article has multiple issues. Concrete figures are notoriously elusive. Julia Siluyanova, a coordinator for Alternative, explained that traffickers mostly force non-Russian-speaking women into prostitution because they are easier to silence. Trafficking victims are treated as criminals under the current law, said Kehinde, the Nigerian activist. Women and children from Europe (predominantly Ukraine and Moldova), Southeast Asia (primarily China and the Philippines), Africa (particularly Nigeria), and Central Asia are victims of sex trafficking in Russia. Twenty-five percent of Russia’s GDP on average comes from the shadow economy, but that number skyrockets to 60 percent in some regions and economic sectors. “The women are forced to hand over all their money to their madams, and in order to go free they’re told they have to pay a debt of between $40,000 to $50,000. Human Trafficking Around the World. More than 3.16 million spectators attended the FIFA World Cup games in Brazil from June 12 to July 13, 2014. France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines. Siluyanova recently reported an incident of sex trafficking to a chief investigator, who scoffed: “Voodoo-shmoodoo. The three previous World Cups -- in Brazil, South Africa and Germany -- had countrywide anti-trafficking campaigns aimed at educating fans about the effect of human trafficking. In April, a woman in Nigeria called Alternative’s hotline for help. Many Russians blame the victims for falling into prostitution, which is why fighting human trafficking remains a low priority in government. For example, during the FIFA World Cup in Russia, many construction workers could have suffered trafficking, but instead, their employers denied them wages and … The trafficking of women and girls for sexual abuse purposes is likely to increase in order to meet the expected rise in demand for sex. As the 2018 World Cup final match came to a close in Russia, the world’s focus moved to 2022 and Qatar, where the next World Cup will be held. Report it and you could be put prison for lying.”. Silencing @realDonaldTrump was the easy part. Human rights supporters around the world are working to fight human trafficking in Russia, and in turn, reduce the number of slaves illegally moved around the globe. Whether or not the numbers have increased dramatically during the 2018 World Cup, Russia is no stranger to human sex trafficking. Anti-trafficking NGOs saw this coming. Human trafficking in Russia Last updated September 23, 2019. Two Nigerians were later arrested and charged with human trafficking after striking a deal to sell Obuson for 2 million roubles (around $30,000) to a police officer posing as a client. Anti-slavery nongovernmental organizations in Russia claim that human trafficking has increased since the start of the temporary visa-free regime for ticket holders, which began on June 4 in advance of the World Cup. Victims are immediately deported back to their country, where they’re almost guaranteed to be in danger and face rejection by their community.”. Click on the video player above to watch FRANCE 24's exclusive report. The conflict in the eastern part of the neighbouring Ukraine has increased the risk of cross-border trafficking and forced labour due to war, displacement, and economic crisis. As the 2010 FIFA World Cup approaches, attention is increasingly focussed on one of the most pervasive crimes expected to accompany the boom in the South African tourism industry: human trafficking. “Even when the women are rescued, they are afraid of reporting the madams’ crimes. The first daughter joined the secretary of state for the report's launch as the Trump administration tries to find its footing on human rights. The suspects were […] FRANCE 24's Elena Volochine and Gulliver Cragg report. In the Soviet era, there were no laws against the practice, and public discussion about sexuality and prostitution was taboo until the late 1980s. Audience ratings certified by ACPM/OJD. In June, Ella, a Nigerian woman who worked in a Moscow brothel, was rescued by Alternative. Abuja - Ten Nigerian children have been rescued from human traffickers planning to fly them to Russia and exploit relaxed visa controls for the World Cup, anti-trafficking officials said on Tuesday. They’re often psychologically abused into staying silent.”. © 2021 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. The 2018 World Cup ended on July 15 with the country’s authorities proud of a successful tournament. The information on Russia is constantly regarding the head of state[ Vladimir Putin ], not trafficking.” Thesis was because of leave Lagos for Moscow on the eve of the opening suit of the World Cup today and also had actually loaded their bags well in advance. When she arrived at the airport in Moscow, she was met by Rose, who turned out to be her madam. FIFA’s “FAN IDs” provided millions of football fans with visa-free travel to Russia for the World Cup – but also proved a boon to criminal people-trafficking networks. “Language is the key to isolating a woman,” she said. “This time, we were much more prepared,” Siluyanova said. The very least the Russian government could do would be to advertise hotline numbers that could make the difference between continued captivity and escaping sexual slavery. REUTERS/Maxim Traffickers exploited this system to bring foreign sex trafficking victims into the country, especially from … The IOM’s Kim said many women are forced into prostitution across Europe after being promised careers as hairdressers. Alternative’s requests to put up billboards displaying their free hotline number next to airports were rejected. According to Siluyanova, the three Nigerian men who owned the brothel had lied to the landlord, claiming they were living there by themselves while they hid the women. She called her father to tell him what happened and that she was trying to prosecute the madam. 60 Years of Human Rights" on a luggage belt at the airport in Munich, Germany, on December 11, 2008. The DPRK sends approximately 20,000 North Korean citizens to Russia annually for work in a variety of sectors, notably including logging in Russia's Far East and construction of the 2018 World Cup Stadiums – with 30,000 to 40,000 North Korean citizens believed to be present in Russia; reportedly many of these North Korean citizens are subjected to conditions of forced labor. During the 2018 World Cup, Russia relaxed its visa requirements, allowing all Fan ID holders to enter and exit Russia without a visa through December 31, 2018. During the 2018 World Cup, Russia relaxed its visa requirements, allowing all Fan ID holders to enter and exit Russia without a visa through December 31, 2018. But it is merely a small section of the Russian law enforcement apparatus, mostly operating in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The crowds at large sporting events are usually predominantly composed of men and this year’s FIFA World Cup was no different. 48 Ukraine has one of the largest diasporas in the world, with the major share residing in Russia. Efforts to end modern slavery have bipartisan support — but the State Department is still missing an ambassador-at-large to monitor and combat trafficking in persons. In exchange for helping agencies recruit their daughters, the relatives get a cut of the girls and women’s earnings. Not that Russia needs to import sex workers. Seeing one phone number can be the key to freedom. Alternative has made progress with the support of the criminal investigations department in Moscow. Can they avoid a repeat of their last attempt? While the world of sports continues to be a magnet for human trafficking, it also has used its platform to shine a light on this horrific crime. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article is based partially or entirely on public domain works of the U.S. government, and thus may require cleanup. Stadiums, hotels, roads, and more must be built in order to host these events. Sex trafficking from Nigeria is a growing problem throughout Europe. In February, Amina had been lured to Russia through a job agency in Nigeria. Russia has criminalised human trafficking in article 127.1 of the criminal code. “We don’t know who you are, and it’s not our business,” was the government’s response, according to Siluyanova. During the 2018 World Cup, Russia relaxed its visa requirements, allowing visa-free entry for all Fan ID holders to enter and exit Russia without a visa through December 31, 2018. They’re psychologically and physically abused, and the only time they get out is when the madam receives an order and calls a taxi to bring the girl to the client,” Siluyanova explained. War is politics by other means — and so is the World Cup. Putin Doesn’t Care about Sex Trafficking... By signing up, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to occasionally receive special offers from Foreign Policy. The Moscow-based anti-slavery NGO Alternative has accompanied police on raids of hidden brothels and discovered hundreds of women who are potential victims of trafficking. The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore. Most of the time their families do not know or care — or are complicit themselves. Following the collapse of the … As trafficking soared in Russia in the 1990s, foreign and domestic NGOs and some Western governments put pressure on the Duma — the Russian parliament — to pass anti-trafficking legislation. Human trafficking. Image Credit: Flickr. While the use of slave labour is criminalised under article 127.2 and article 127.1 mentions slave labour as a type of exploitation as part of the crime of human trafficking, the act of slavery itself is not distinctly criminalised.58 Articles 240 and 241 address recruitment into sex work and pimping.59 In relation to the alleged exploitation of migrant workers from North Korea on the construction site for the St Petersburg stadium for the 2018 S… Women are also trafficked from other African countries such as Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Mali, and ex-Soviet countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Moldova. On arrival, a madam typically confiscates the women’s documents, advertises them on Russian sex websites, and imprisons them in apartments. (The remaining 20 percent are economic migrants who come to Italy willingly.) Hidden in Plain Sight. World Cup 2014: On myths and reality of sex trafficking. 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Ireland shortages as EU customers face empty shelves, Irish Catholic Church apologises to victims of church-run homes, Italy targets 'Ndrangheta crime group in biggest mafia trial in decades, New US tariffs on French wine and cognac come into force, Inquiry opened in France after Senegalese student Diary Sow goes missing. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. The Japanese government is locked into what critics call a misguided project. The ties between human trafficking and the Russian economy go beyond just the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The state has cooperated with NGOs in busting trafficking rings, most notably during the World Cup held in Russia in 2018, the report said. Blessing Obuson from Nigeria, 19, rescued from human traffickers, poses for a portrait in a shelter on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia February 21, 2019. Yet, in 2013, just 28 people were convicted of sex trafficking and forced labor. According to a 2017 IOM report, 80 percent of female migrants arriving in Italy from Nigeria — whose numbers have jumped from 1,454 in 2014 to 11,009 in 2016 — are potential victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Alternative scans sex websites looking for advertisements for African women and once had a male staff member pose as a client to find out an address. According to a question in a 2007 survey, only one-third of the participants agreed human trafficking in Russia was a substantial problem. Rose confiscated her documents and told her she owed a $50,000 debt. Prior to the World Cup in Germany in 2006, there was considerable international concern that this event would contribute to a sharp increase in trafficking for After learning about the increasing problem of sex trafficking from African countries to Russia, he decided to fight the practice. Florence Kim of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, “It can be extremely difficult to identify human trafficking because of its invisible nature, and even more so because victims are afraid to denounce their traffickers. Human trafficking thrives at large sporting events such as the Olympic Games, Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup for many reasons. Human Trafficking: The Other Side Of The World Cup Which Nobody Sees 'Exactly what happens to whom during the World Cup events that generate so much money for some and such misery for others.' A History Of Human Trafficking. According to the Global Slavery Index, there were more than a million victims of human trafficking in Russia in 2016. Three days later, Alternative rescued Amina and six other Nigerian women from a brothel on the outskirts of Moscow. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. Many Russians blame the victims for falling into prostitution, which is why fighting human trafficking remains a. Major sporting events including the World Cup, the Olympics, and the Super Bowl always spark warnings over an influx of trafficked workers, many of whom are the victims of forced prostitution. FIFA’s “FAN IDs” provided millions of football fans with visa-free travel to Russia for the World Cup – but also proved a boon to criminal people-trafficking networks. France 24 screenshot | People abandoned by human traffickers gather outside a youth hostel in Central Moscow. Some are brainwashed into believing in a voodoo curse, that the madam is very powerful, and that their families will be in danger if they talk,” Siluyanova said. Multiple news sources have reported ten Nigerian children were rescued from a human trafficking ring outlined around the World Cup, which runs across 11 Russian cities from June 14 to July 15. “During raids, there were cases when the madams jumped out of third-floor windows to escape the police,” Siluyanova recalled. Thousands of people have been trafficked to Russia since June, according to the Nigerian anti-trafficking activist Oluremi Banwo Kehinde, who leads Help Services for Nigerians in Russia, an organization that supports African victims of human trafficking based in Moscow. In recent years, the issue has become politicized due to Western pressure to adopt anti-trafficking policies. The World Cup was played in Russia between June 14 and July 15, 2018. In response to various demands for FIFA to take action against human trafficking and forced prostitution at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, the following statement has been issued. 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