F.A.Q.'s

What is trafficking?

Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation and trading of human beings. Women and children are the most vulnerable and are targeted by traffickers for the purposes of sexual slavery. Trafficked women and children are enslaved through deception, abduction, rape, beatings and coerced drug addiction. Trafficking represents the vicious and abusive practices of organized crime networks, and the paying clients are ultimately responsible for sustaining this type of slavery.

How many women and children are victims of trafficking?

More than 17,000 women and children are victims of trafficking in Greece today. Most victims come from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Albania.

What are the living conditions of the victims of trafficking?

Rape, beatings and torture
Intimidation and psychological abuse
Forced abortions
Malnutrition
Sleep deprivation

No health care (medical problems and a high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases)

Did these trafficked women know what they would face in Greece?
NO!

" Most victims of trafficking come to Greece for work; however they were deceived by organized crime networks and channeled into sexual slavery by means of psychological and physical violence.

In all three cases, these women and children are slaves.

Some of these victims are teenagers and horrifically some are just children.

They are all victims of trafficking.

" A trafficked victim may be brought to Greece against her will and forced into the sex trade. Usually, these women and children are either sold by relatives or abducted and blackmailed by trafficking networks and subjected to psychological and physical violence.
" Some victims come to Greece believing they will be paid workers in the sex industry. These women are not aware they would be locked up, threatened, tortured and not allowed to keep the money the get.

What prevents a trafficked victim from escaping?

Threats of harm and physical impossibility of escape
Beatings, torture, confinement, intimidation, confiscation of the victim's passport and threats to the victim's family make the attempt to escape dangerous and potentially fatal.

Disorientation
Isolation and lack of knowledge of the Greek language and infrastructure means that victims have no way of communicating their plight or seeking help. They often fear imprisonment because they may not have legal documentation to stay in Greece.

Lack of information on resources
Victims of trafficking do not know that help and protection is available to them. Now, with the recent legislation and newly established shelters for medical and psycho-social aid, victims have a place to go, but they are not aware of these services.

Revenues

Revenues from this slavery bring in billions of Euros to organized crime. The client is ultimately responsible for human trafficking for sexual purposes as he is the motivating force and the financer of this business in human misery. It is estimated that over one million men in Greece pay for services of women and children who have been trafficked into the sex industry. Clients who use trafficked women and children are inflicting human rights violations and perpetuating the suffering of the enslaved victims.

In October 2002 the 3064 anti-trafficking Law was passed. This Law makes trafficking a crime and provides protection and services to victims (Presidential Decree). Several NGOs (non-governmental organisations) are establishing shelters to address victims' psycho-social and medical needs and to facilitate repatriation.

• STOPNOW is an anti-trafficking project established in December 2001 with two fundamental objectives: prevention of trafficking and advocacy for assistance to victims of trafficking to facilitate reintegration into society.
  STOPNOW advocates for voluntary repatriation and social reintegration of victims of trafficking, respect for an individual's dignity and protection of the victims' human rights. The project focuses its actions on public awareness campaigns, research, lobbying and coordination.

STOPNOW is funded by the General Secretariat for International Economic Relations and Development Co-operation (YDAS)
Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs

For more information:
KEDE Centre of Research and Action on Peace

Project coordinator: Dina Vardaramatou
Address: 124b Vas. Sophias Ave, 11526 Athens
Tel.: (++30)210-77.57.121
Fax: (++30)210- 77.51.170
E-mail: kedewinpeace@ath.forthnet.gr
Website: www.stop-trafficking.org