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MALTATODAY 21 July 2019

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16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 JULY 2019 INTERVIEW Before turning to the educational campaign itself: Malta has often been named in connection with real or suspected human trafficking cases; yet the crime itself is rarely discussed publicly. How much of an issue is it here, to begin with? Human trafficking is some- thing that, by its own nature, involves different countries. It is estimated that 40.3 million people are trafficked world- wide each year. So all coun- tries, up to a point, will sooner or later have to deal with real or potential cases. Malta is not immune. This is, in fact, the central message of our cam- paign. Malta is committed to taking action in the fight against human trafficking, and that is what we intend to do. Would you give an example of human trafficking in practice? The stereotypical scenario might involve young women enticed and ensnared by prostitution rings, for instance: but is that the only way in which people could be trafficked? That scenario certainly quali- fies as human trafficking; and it accounts for many individ- ual cases. But the definition is much broader. Statistics show that almost 16.7 million people are trafficked for the purpose of 'regular' employment. What usually happens is that people are approached, or respond to ads, with an offer of employ- ment in a particular country: for instance, as a hair-dresser, or a waiter, or a carer… but when they get to that country, the contract will be torn up; their passport will be taken away… and those are already the first two signs. You have been promised something, but given something else; and you have been deprived of your lib- erty… But how different is that from the case of, for instance, the large numbers of migrants (mostly African, but other nationalities too) who get picked up from roundabouts, and transported to be illegally employed in workplaces? And who end up living in stables…? What you describe is not nec- essarily trafficking, however. Not by definition… although obviously you would have to investigate the individual cases to know the full details. But there is a difference between human trafficking, and picking people up from the street to employ them illegally. They're both illegal, but it's not neces- sarily the same crime. Take, for example, the case of an Italian national here with a 'passaggio di soggiorno'. That agreement only holds good for Italy. So, if someone employs an Italian with a 'passaggio di soggiorno', he would be breaking the laws of our country. All the same, that's not 'trafficking'. To be trafficking, the victims would have had to be brought here on false pretences. What you're talking about, however, is still exploitation. If people are em- ployed, and either not paid for the work done, or given only five euros for a full day's work… that's exploitation, and it's illegal. But it's a different crime. There is also some confusion between 'trafficking' and 'smuggling'. Can you explain the difference in a few words? The case of someone com- ing here from Africa by boat, for example. Is it trafficking? If those people are fleeing from wars with their families… and they paid someone to bring them to Europe by boat… that would be smuggling, not traf- ficking. But if you paid for that passage, on the promise that someone would meet you to give you a job as a carer, or a domestic helper… when in reality none of that happens, and you find yourself forced to work as a prostitute instead… that's trafficking. It's a fine line, though, isn't? Migrants don't only pay for the Mediterranean passage. Sub-Saharan Africans would have to also pay to be transported to the Libyan coast from their home countries. All would have been 'promised a better life in Europe'. But many end up abducted and held to ransom; or dumped at sea to drown, or end up in detention centres… isn't that false pretences, too? It is still smuggling, though. Not to minimise the crime of smuggling, because they are both serious crimes… and be- sides, the examples you men- tion also include kidnapping and murder. The charges would be very, very serious in- deed. But still, the transaction will have been different. The human smugglers operating in Africa are transporting their victims to where they can leave for Europe… but they're not the ones employing them un- der false pretences when they get to Europe. That's the basic difference. Turning to cases of real trafficking, here in Malta. You mentioned 'carers' and 'domestic workers' as possible examples. But isn't there also a cultural tendency here to look on foreigners as 'being here only to do specific jobs'? And isn't that culture reinforced, when we only see Filipinos looking after children; Africans picking up garbage; Italians serving in restaurants; or Eastern Europeans on building sites? The reality is complicated, however. There are cases of people being trafficked for those and other reasons. But it doesn't follow that all for- eigners employed as carers, or on construction sites, or in any other legal activity, will have been trafficked. Very of- ten they may have come here themselves, on their own initiative; or ended up here for some other reason. They would not have been enticed here by the employer. Also, you hear of a lot of situations where families – or employ- ers, even in small businesses – would need to hire people, as helpers or employees, and the stark reality is that they find nobody. Just recently I was at a supermarket, and one of the comments I heard was: 'If you know of anyone interested [in working here], send them along…' And there is also a new social reality, in that the Maltese now expect a differ- ent standard of living. You find more people nowadays who don't want to work nightshifts, Human trafficking is a growing phenomenon, and might even be happening in the apartment next door. JULIA FARRUGIA PORTELLI, Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Citizenship, outlines the main aims of the human trafficking awareness campaign, launched yesterday Are you being enslaved? PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES BIANCHI Raphael Vassallo Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt

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