Global InformationHuman trafficking in Italy information
Italy is a destination and transit country for women, children, and men trafficked transnationally for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children are trafficked mainly from Nigeria, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Albania, and Ukraine but also from Russia, South America, North and East Africa, the Middle East, China, and Uzbekistan. Chinese men and women are trafficked to Italy for the purpose of forced labor. Roma children continue to be trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced begging. Reportedly, an increasing number of victims are trafficked for labor, mostly in the agricultural sector. According to one NGO, 90 percent of foreign seasonal workers are unregistered and two-thirds are in Italy illegally, rendering them vulnerable to trafficking. The top five source countries for agricultural workers are Romania, Pakistan, Albania, and Ivory Coast. Traffickers reportedly are moving victims more frequently within Italy, often keeping victims in major cities for only a few months at a time, in an attempt to evade police detection.[1]
The Government of Italy does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.[2]
March 2010, 69 people in connection with the Russian Mafia were arrested in various European countries, including Italy.[3] In June 2010, Italian and Romanian authorities cracked down on a human trafficking network that included over 150 women, including minors, that were being sexually exploited. 14 people were detained in various Romanian regions and 26 were arrested in Italy. Among the 57 people that were found to be involved in the network, the majority were Romanians, but among them were also Italians, an Albanian and an Egyptian.[4]
The New York Times reported in September 2010, that Italian officials in Prato could account for an increasing amount of illegal Chinese immigrants who are buying out Italian businesses and changing the "made in Italy" image that is so well known. Organized crime is on the rise, including illegal fabric importation, human trafficking, prostitution, gambling and money laundering. Authorities raided over 154 Chinese-owned businesses in the first half of 2010, at the time there were over 3,000 registered Chinese-owned businesses. Police forces do not have the man-power in order to stay on top of the immigration problem. Several Italian Officers were arrested earlier that year for taking bribes in exchange for residence permits.[5]
In December 2010, Health Rights Watch reported about the abuse upon migrants which were allowed by many governmental policies and protection gaps. Among those listed was Italy, who through the supply of boats and crews to the Libyan coastal patrols, was indirectly sending migrants, mostly sub-Saharan African, into Libyan detentions which are of degrading condition and inhuman.[6] Libya and Italy created a deal in order to cut off the main sea route to Europe for the illegal African migrants, which in turn sent the majority of the boats to Israel, who recorded a 300% increase at the beginning of 2010.[7]
- ^ Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (2008-06-10). "Country Narratives -- Countries H through R". US Department of State. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "2022 Trafficking in Persons Report: Italy". US Department of State. 2023-02-10. Archived from the original on 2022-12-27. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- ^ "Police arrest 69 in European crackdown on Russian mafia". France 24. 2010-03-15. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ "Human trafficking gang busted". News24. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ Donadio, Rachel (2010-09-13). "Chinese Remake the 'Made in Italy' Fashion Label". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ "Global: Flawed Policies Expose Migrants to Abuse". Human Rights Watch. 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
- ^ "Israel starts building barrier on Egypt border". BBC News. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
