No / a right of residence
Given the violence and exploitation that women have experienced in Germany it is even more incomprehensible and shameful that those who manage to escape are abandoned by the German legal system. The often highly traumatized women need a secure residence status to stabilise and develop prospects for themselves. However, the social workers from SOLWODI must realise that hardly any Nigerian woman is banned from being deported or is given a refugee status.
In addition, the procedures are being processed faster and faster, leaving little time to come to terms with the women's stories. It is usually argued that the women in Nigeria have opportunities to escape within the country or they are immediately deported to Italy, the EU country of entry, based on the Dublin-system. Neither in Italy nor in Nigeria can women be effectively protected from Nigerian human traffickers. Also, they can hardly make a living there. Consequently, they easily get caught back in the clutches of criminal organizations and become victims of exploitation and violence once more.
SOLWODI therefore demands the German authorities to more awareness. If human trafficking is suspected, it must be investigated carefully. The affected women need a secure residence status, psychosocial help and company. Dublin-deportations must be suspended if human trafficking is suspected in order to protect women from danger and further trauma.
In the coalition agreement, the “Ampel” parties have set themselves the goal of guaranteeing a right of residence regardless of willingness to testify in criminal proceedings. Until now, however, no steps in this direction have been taken. Often criminal proceedings cannot be started due to a lack of evidence, as the women can only provide vague information. As stated above, women often do not testify because they fear reprisals or re-traumatisation. It would be of interests to the affected women if a sufficient suspicion of human trafficking would be enough to receive a residence permit without forcing them into burdening criminal proceedings.
