Chinese Woman Forced To Work As Sex Worker By Maltese Employer After Coming To Island To Babysit
Human trafficking is a global issue that affects millions of people worldwide – and a woman in Malta has opened up about her own experience after she came to the island.
Ġina’s story is just one example of how vulnerable individuals can be exploited and forced into situations that they never would have chosen for themselves.
With the help of an interpretor, TVM interviewed Ġina*, a Chinese woman that has been living in Malta and is a victim of human trafficking.
Ġina was born into a family that struggled to survive, and at just 8-years-old, she was forced to leave school in order to work and help support her family.
Despite the many challenges she faced, she was determined to make a better life for herself. She moved to Malta in search of work where she was told she would be working as a babysitter on the island.
Unfortunately, Ġina was soon caught up in a web of exploitation and abuse.
Her employer forced her to provide sexual services to clients, despite her objections and discomfort with the situation.
“She was introduced to her Maltese employer, who she later learned was married to the woman who had encouraged her to come to Malta,” the interpreter explained.
They informed her that she would be giving massages, and despite having no knowledge of this profession, they told her not to worry, because she could satisfy her clients with a “special technique”.
She was trapped in this situation because she had no other job opportunities and needed to pay back the loan she had taken out to travel to Malta. In addition, she had a son in China whom she needed to support financially.
She was underpaid and was promised that all her documents would be kept up to date, only to find out that her ID card had expired and she was no longer legally in Malta.
“Her Maltese employer insisted that she needed to provide special services to clients, otherwise he would stop her working permit and she would have to return to China. So she ended up once again offering sexual services against her will. She says that she charged clients €30, which was split with her employer. Her employer also used to charge her €300 a month in commission.”
Fortunately, Ġina was eventually able to escape from this situation and find help.
She was recognised as a victim of human trafficking and received support from social workers, who provided her with shelter and helped her to find a new job.
Today, Ġina is working hard to support her son and is learning English in order to pursue her dream of working in childcare or elderly care. Ġina’s story highlights the importance of recognizing the signs of human trafficking and providing support to victims.
Many victims of trafficking are too afraid to speak out or seek help, and it’s up to us as a society to ensure that they have access to the resources and support they need to escape from these situations and rebuild their lives.
The government has long promised a law aimed at dealing with prostitution and sexual exploitation in Malta, but few reforms have been introduced so far.
The Foundation for Social Welfare Services has even been able to confirm 10 people who were victims of human trafficking in Malta over two years, and helped get them support for a better life.
By raising awareness of this issue and working together to address it, we can help to put an end to human trafficking in Malta.
*The woman’s name is fictitious to safeguard her identity
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