Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service)- On July 21 during a conference on “Supply and demand: Behind the Business of Trafficking in Persons” the director of the US State Deparment’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Ambassador John Miller said “Nations must unite efforts to fight human trafficking”. The conference was a digital video conference held at the US embassy in Rome promoted by the Embassies of the United States of America to the Holy See and to Italy. During the conference it emerged that many rich countries overlook the problem considered to be something which concerns only the poorer countries from which the victims come. But in fact there is a great demand in the most developed counries for human persons reduced to slavery. Hence the need to intensify programmes to reduce and stifle demand.
People must realise that the victims of this trafficking are not criminals and adeguate measures must be taken to distinguish between illegal immigration and human trafficking at borders. It is necessary to identify and strike criminal organisations involved in human trafficking which renders more then 8 billion dollars profit every year.
The main victims of trafficking are women and girls subject to sexual and domestic abuse. A steady demand for women and girls to exploit sexually feeds an illegal market in which the victims are helpless. The first objective is to understand the demand and to make clients realise that most prostitutes are forced into this activity.
In this situation to tollerate prostitution and sex tourism means to tollerate kidnapping and rape of minors a form of hypocracy which touches rich societies.
Norma Hotaling of SAGE Standing Against Global Exploitation in San Francisco stressed the need to “start on the demand and make clients aware of the punishment they face, working also in countries where sex tourism flourishes thanks to rich countries”.
Fides is preparing a dossier on the situation of women in Africa and trafficking of African women to Italy. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/7/2005 righe 38 parole 407)
