Mission Impossible? Voluntary and Dignified Repatriation of Nigerian Victims of Trafficking

Abstract

In the wake of increased internationalization of prostitution markets, European authorities are facing new challenges regarding policy choices between the need to protect the rights of persons trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation on the one hand, and to control illegal entry on the other. The Norwegian case is no exception: the largest cities have seen a dramatic change in the composition of both street and indoor prostitution arenas in the last ten years. The number of migrant women in this sector has increased dramatically. The last few years saw a new development: prostitution arenas of larger Norwegian cities have seen an influx of Nigerian women, from only two spotted in street prostitution in the capital Oslo in 2003 to 638 in 2008, out of a total 1,230 women in street prostitution. One of the most important questions posed by the deliberations in Norway on this emerging phenomenon is whether the Nigerian women are victims of trafficking, and if so, how can Norwegian authorities meet their needs?