Identification, Repatriation and Assistance to Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings. The Role of Authorities and Diplomatic and Consular Personnel. 8 June, 2010 Madrid, Spain

What do You have to do? You will be divided into groups. Each group will receive a case study. You and your group have to discuss the case for 15 min and decide together: Whether it is trafficking or not (group 1, 2, 3, 4) What assistance you can provide (group 5, 6, 7) Each group shall chose a spokesperson that will present the case and the decision of the group (5-7 min max)

Case study 1 TRAFFICKING OR NOT? Lili is a 16-year-old girl from the rural area of an EU country. A family friend offered Lili’s parents to take her to Spain and find a job for her. Her family lives in desperate poverty, so her parents agreed. The family friend takes her to Madrid. He is forcing her to beg in the city streets. He is supervising her and takes all the money away from her. He gives her little fast food everyday. Some of her earnings are sent to her family. The rest is kept by the family friend, as agreed with Lili’s parents…

Case Study 2 TRAFFICKING OR NOT? Petro is a 26 year old man from a non-EU country who wanted to migrate to Italy for work in order to help his family. A friend provided him contacts of a Mr. X who arranged documents and travel to Italy. He gave Petro a false passport and together with a group of other 6 men, he was transported illegally to Italy. For this Petro owed Mr. X 3000 Euro. Once in Italy, Petro and the other 6 men were sent to work at a shoe factory. Petro worked for about 12 hours per day and agreed not to receive salary for 3 month in order to pay back his debts. The owner paid Petro’s salary to Mr. X. The owner of the factory provided to the workers one meal per day and accommodation in a store room of the factory. After 9 months Petro still didn’t receive any money, even after all the debts were paid off.

Case study 3 TRAFFICKING OR NOT? Ricardo was stopped at the Hungarian border while trying to take three minors (13-15 years old) out of the country using false notary’s documents. It was identified that the children were going to join their parents (not EU citizens) who are working illegally in Spain. Upon further investigations, it was identified that Michael and Katjia were the main organizers of the scheme and were involved in such activities during the last 3 years. For their services, the couple charged Euros per client.

Case study 4 TRAFFICKING OR NOT? Miranda is 20 y.o. She was offered a dancing job in Madrid. The man who offered her the job paid for her travel expenses. They agreed that she would have to pay him back in Spain, from her salary. Upon arrival Miranda is taken to a dance club. She has to live with other 6 girls in a room. Her passport is taken by the owner of the club. She is told that she owes Euros and that she has to have drinks with clients during the afternoon, then dance and at night provide sexual services. She does not want to drink and have sex with clients. The owner told her that he will let her go if she pays the debt off.

Case study 5 A young, jobless couple from an EU country (imagine it’s your country) were offered a orange picking job in Spain for 1000 Euro/month. They needed money to provide for their sick parents, so they gladly accepted the offer. They travelled to Spain with the man who promised them the job. Upon arrival they were taken to a farm. The man asked for their passports in order to register them. Then they told them they would live in a caravan on the farm and work every day from 8 am to 10 pm with the other 5 people. The people on the farm were poorly fed and were not allowed to call home. They were supervised all the time and the guardian had a gun. At night he would lock the caravan. The people were fed up with this situation, however they could not escape as they did not have their passports, money and they did not speak Spanish; besides they were threatened that if they went to police they would be deported because of their illegal status. One day the men had a big fight with the supervisor and the owner, one man was shot in his leg, after he hit the owner. They were locked again in the caravan. At night when they fell asleep the caravan was set on fire. The men were luckily rescued by some people and brought to the police station in the nearby town. When the case is referred to you what actions can you take to help these men? What kind of assistance do they need?

Case Study 6 Fatima is 16 (imagine she is a citizen of your country). She had a fight with her parents because she did not want to marry the man they chose for her and escaped from home. She met a young man who offered her a job in Spain. He told her that he has a little restaurant there and that they would work together. Fatima was given a Bulgarian passport on another citizenship, name and older age. Upon arrival to Madrid Fatima was brought to an Indian restaurant. Her boyfriend told her that first she will be washing the dishes and helping the cook. At night he raped her and then forced her to have sex with 2 other men. Since then everyday Fatima had to start work at 7 am, to clean the restaurant and the kitchen and then wash the dishes late in the evening, then she had to work with clients till 2-3 am in the rooms above the restaurant. Fatima was threatened every day, she was terrified by the trafficker as she was already cruelly beaten and raped several times for disobedience, and she did not know what to do. Four months later a permanent client felt pity for Fatima and helped her escape. He took her to a police station and left her there. When the case is referred to you what actions can you take to help this girl? What kind of assistance does she need?

Case study 7 George is 26 y.o. (Imagine he is the citizen of your country). He wanted to migrate to an EU country in order to work and help his family. A couple agreed to help him, with the condition that he would pay them back for the travel expenses once he started working. George had Polish passport and the couple promised to take him to Spain to a fish factory. At the factory George’s passport was taken by the owner, he has to work 12 hours per day, he lives in a big room with other men from different countries; the room is locked at night. 9 months later, even after he paid his debts, he did not receive any money, he could not call home and he needed medical assistance. He decided to escape and to ask for help. He promised the other people who were in the same situation to tell the police about them in order to help them go home, too. When the case is referred to you, what actions can you take to help this person (and the others who would be rescued)?