4,000 Nigerians may be forced into prostitution in Italy –IOM

Thousands of Nigerian girls taken to Italy are in danger of being forced into prostitution in Europe, the International Organisation for Migration, said.

The number of female Nigerians, many of them minors, arriving by sea in Italy surged over the past three years — from 1,454 in 2014 to 11,000 in 2016; some 4,000 have arrived so far in 2017, IOM said.

Based on data collected at landing sites, IOM estimated that 80 per cent of the girls were potential victims of trafficking as sex workers, noting that the girls are often told the trip is free, _Reuters _reported.

“These girls, who are increasingly younger every year, are brought to Italy and to Europe for sexual exploitation,” IOM spokesperson, Flavio Di Giacomo, told a Geneva briefing by telephone from Rome.

UCJ, UNILORIN.