ABSTRACT
This chapter undertakes a critical analysis of counter-trafficking measures in Italy, in relation to the diverse and complex experiences of Nigerian female sex workers in the city of Turin. Most of the women are undocumented, making them highly vulnerable to exploitative debt and labor contracts, as well as abuse and violence from employers, clients, and government authorities. This research found that while the protection program has been fortunate for some beneficiaries, it fails to address the vulnerabilities faced by migrant sex workers. One of the shortcomings of the program is that it protects victims only if they suffer severe forms of violence, provide information that helps in the arrest of traffickers, and tell a ‘convincing story’ that underscores their role as ‘innocent victims’. It ignores the complexity of the experiences of undocumented migrants who do commercial sex work and the multiple challenges they face. It overemphasizes a particular and narrowly defined form of victimization while rendering other forms of victimization invisible. Counter-trafficking measures may offer a modicum of protection for a specific and small group of undocumented migrants in the sex industry. However, when combined with increasing restrictions on migration and sex work, the counter-trafficking measures increase the vulnerability of most migrant sex workers and strengthen the networks of traffickers.
