Forced prostitution during the 2006 football world cup
June 12, 2006 12:00 AM
By Liz Lynne
By Liz Lynne
Mr President, there are clear links between trafficking and large sporting events, and it is sad that such exciting and positive events are linked to such an evil trade. This time the sporting event is being held here in the European Union. We must act, and we must do more than we are doing at the moment.
We need further answers from the Commission about the measures actually being taken and about what lessons can be learned for the future. I fear that not enough is being done at this World Cup to stop this abhorrent trade, although I know the German authorities are trying their best, and I appreciate that.
It is almost certain that, as I speak, many victims of trafficking are working as slaves, far from the view of the television cameras. They are victims, as you quite rightly said, Commissioner, and must be treated as such, not as criminals.
Commissioner, I hope the hotlines you mentioned have been set up and are working. I too would have liked to see a single free-phone hotline, similar to the child hotline. I hope there are enough safe havens for victims to go to, and would like you to indicate whether you feel enough have been set up in Germany. I hope also that the victims will not be returned to their country of origin only to be retrafficked, because we know that this has happened in the past.
I am very pleased that, as you mentioned, there has been cooperation with Europol. However, we need to know more about what measures the Commission is taking, along with Europol, to combat trafficking in relation to the World Cup. We also need to know what the full extent of trafficking is at this World Cup. After the event is over we need a full report and I would like to hear from you what sort of report that will be.
We must learn for the future. We are not talking here about prostitutes who have decided, for whatever reasons, that they want to be prostitutes - we are talking about the slave trade, and we must not confuse the two. It is right that we should speak about these issues, but we must make sure that footballers, fans and organisations - and I had sincerely hoped that FIFA would join with us - try and stamp out this slave trade, because that is what it is and we are not talking about prostitution in general. We must make sure that the World Cup is remembered for the right reasons, and not for fostering a slave trade.
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