21 survivors have returned home! 19 of these survivors were trafficked from West Africa to the Mediterranean, and are now home safe and receiving aftercare services. The other two survivors were trafficked from South America to the Mediterranean. Here is their story. “Lucia” and “Margaret” found an employment agency in South America that connected them with modeling opportunities in the Mediterranean. They were excited about the opportunity and couldn’t wait to get started. Upon arrival, they were immediately forced to have sex with men who bought them. They were trapped in a human trafficking network where traffickers in South America worked with traffickers in the Mediterranean to buy and sell girls. After many months of being exploited, Lucia and Margaret were able to escape together. Unfortunately, the trafficker was not far behind them. The trafficker took away their passports and accused the two girls of lying and stealing, which led them to be put into prison. O.U.R. Aftercare met Lucia and Margaret in person in January. We worked with these brave survivors to fill out the necessary documents to be released from prison and return home. Right before they were going to return home, COVID-19 restrictions shut down the opportunity to travel. The girls were stuck in prison. We kept in contact with local social workers who supported Lucia and Margaret through their time in prison. We helped provide food and medical services to sustain them as we waited for travel bans to be lifted. We are grateful to report that Lucia and Margaret were reunited with their families on July 30, World Day Against Trafficking. Comment FREEDOM below to celebrate with us!
21 survivors have returned home! 19 of these survivors were trafficked from West Africa to the Mediterranean, and are no... was originally published here https://www.instagram.com/p/CEAoDgToDo-
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