Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Trafficking in Italy: Teenage migrants forced into prostitution, says charity

Save the Children found women and girls are being forced to pay up to €250 (£184) to work in the streets of the largest cities

Michael Day
Monday 24 August 2015 22:39 EDT
Eritrean migrant teenagers walk to the military zone of the docks of Lampedusa, Italy
Eritrean migrant teenagers walk to the military zone of the docks of Lampedusa, Italy (Jonathan Hyams/Save the Children)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Teenage migrants from Africa are being forced into prostitution in Italy, and even pay their captors “rent” for the use of the pavements on which they work, according to Save the Children.

The charity found that women and girls are being forced to pay up to €250 (£184) to work in the streets of the largest cities.

Most are adolescents who have made the journey from Nigeria through Niger, Libya and then across the Mediterranean in search of a better life.

They are told by their escorts that they will get jobs as models, hairdressers or babysitters, but instead they are usually delivered to a Nigerian woman living locally, who tells them when and where they must prostitute themselves to pay off the cost of their journey.

Violence and even voodoo is employed to terrorise the victims.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in