Voodoo fears keep Nigerians from naming traffickers

MANY Nigerian women trafficked into Ireland for prostitution refuse to identify their traffickers because of voodoo rituals, an expert has told a conference.

Gerardine Rowley, director of Ruhama, which works with prostitutes, said plans under new legislation to provide victims of trafficking a recovery period of 45 days before they possibly face deportation was not enough given the trauma and “mind control” they suffer.

She was speaking at a conference organised by the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI). The conference comes as the Department of Justice prepares to launch a national awareness campaign on trafficking, including a hotline to report suspicions of trafficking, later this month.

“Some tribes in Nigeria use voodoo,” said Ms Rowley. “When they are recruited, and when they leave, they take part in voodoo rituals. They take a piece of their hair or whatever, and they make a contract where they have to promise to do what the person says. They totally believe it as fact, they are scared. It is a form of control. The traffickers control their mind.

“If we can build trust, they may risk to tell more,” she said, but added that the fast-tracking of all Nigerian applications for asylum — within two weeks — didn’t allow for this.

She said the proposals for a 45-day period of recovery and reflection under the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008 was “not enough” either.

ICI anti-trafficking co-ordinator Nusha Yonkova said the period should be extended to those who are “severely traumatised, threatened with retaliation or blackmailed”.

Siobhán O’Donoghue, director of Migrants Rights Centre Ireland, said no-one knew how many people were being trafficked for labour exploitation.

“It is going to increase irrespective of the economic downturn.”

She said while many work in the unregulated market, including restaurants, some worked in areas like contract cleaning.

Deirdre Coghlan, a researcher at Trinity College, said it would be difficult to successfully prosecute for trafficking for forced labour as there was no agreed definition of what constituted exploitation or coercion.

Unni Kiil of the ROSA project in Norway, spoke of sheltered structures for trafficked women there and how they had a six-month reflection period.