ALBANIA- Trafficking of Women
IOM Press Briefing Notes
17 April 2001
IOM, the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC)
and Save the Children have conducted new research into trafficking of
women and children from and through Albania into Western Europe.
The IOM report on trafficking in women to Albania
sheds new light on the levels of violence and sexual exploitation
suffered by the victims. This report is based on the testimonies of 125
women who were assisted last year by IOM and its partner, the ICMC. It
shows that 73% of the victims, mostly Moldovans and Ukrainians,
were cheated by traffickers into believing they were going to Europe to
get jobs as waitresses, nannies or au pairs. The report says that 18 %
of the victims had been kidnapped and that 32% had been raped and beaten
into submission. A further 73 % said they suffered intimidation and
confinement.
The report also reveals that women were
"traded" several times on their way to Europe, with prices
increasing at each "transaction". According to the report, 90%
of the women trafficked to Albania transited through Montenegro before
entering Albania via the northern town of Shkodra. The report notes that
in 10% of the cases, the local Albanian police was directly involved.