The DIRECT Project
Develop coordInation with migRants to Enhance inClusion of Trafficked persons 101100899

Led by the Italian Red Cross, The DIRECT project aims at preventing trafficking in human beings, through a solid cooperation with migrants and refugees, and promoting the integration of third-country nationals presumed victims and victims of trafficking. The project is based on a solid partnership bringing together organizations working in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Greece, that host significant numbers of third-country nationals and are receiving an increasing flow of migrants through the Mediterranean and the Balkan routes, hence raising the risk of human trafficking.

For more information click here.

Facilitation of Migrant Women’s Access to Health Services
Funded by the Mediterranean Women’s Fund, the main goal of this project is to improve migrant women’s mental, sexual and reproductive health. The aim is to reach the most vulnerable women with accurate information, including unidentified victims of trafficking and undocumented migrants, and to increase awareness about their rights and how to access healthcare services, which also have a ripple effect on their wider community. We have planned to train a group of 20 migrant women. Our work is also informed by our collaboration with the European Network of Migrant Women’s report on migrant women’s mental health.

To find out more click here.

FULFIL – Protecting and Promoting Fundamental Rights of Migrant Women in the European Union ( Call: CERV-2022-CHAR-LITI – Project number 101083937) –  
The main objective of the FULFIL project is to provide capacity-building to legal professionals, but also members of equality bodies, diplomatic missions and law enforcement officials for a more effective use of the EU Charter in legal support, intervention and litigation, at national and EU level, in the cases of breaches of fundamental rights of migrant women – both Third Country Nationals and EU. the project will be implemented in France, Italy and Portugal. 
The second parallel objective of the project is to reinforce the capacity of vulnerable migrant women and the NGOs working with them to effectively engage with law enforcement agents, lawyers and members of the judiciary to improve the litigation process.
FULFIL is led by the European Network of Migrant Women (ENOMW) in partnership with Association Olympe (France), Iroko Onlus (Italy) and Association against Femicide in Portugal, as well as two legal firms –  Artemis in France and Parolin Law firm in Italy – and, European Women’s Lawyers Association (EWLA). 
To find out more click here. 

ITFLOWS 
The project ITFLOWS, funded by the European Horizon 2020 Programme, is developed by the Universidad Autónoma De Barcelona, in collaboration with Italian Red Cross, European University Institute, Centre For Research And Technology, Center For European Policy Studies, Kiel Institute For The World Economy, International Affairs Institute, FIZ Karlsruhe – Leibniz-Institut Für Informationsinfrastruktur Gmbh, Cork Institute Of Technology, Latra EE, Center For The Study Of Democracy, Open Cultural Center, Oxfam Italy and Brunel University London.
The purpose of ITFLOWS is to provide accurate predictions and adequate management solutions of migration flows in the European Union in the phases of reception, relocation, settlement and integration of migration, according to a wide range of human factors and using multiple sources of information. These insights will be provided by an evidence-based ICT enabled solution (the EUMigraTool) and precise models. All solutions will have fitness for purpose continually validated by policy-makers and practitioners in cooperation with civil-society organisations, including IROKO, in a dynamic and iterative process.
Website:  https://www.itflows.eu/

Promotion of Women’s Health
Among the women who we support we have observed a lack of information, or even a prevalence of misinformation, about their rights and the national/local healthcare system here in Italy, which can be very complicated to understand and access even for Italians. As such, the language barrier that exists for many migrant women presents an extra obstacle. National and cultural differences often affect our perception of our bodies and our health, ideas around differences between men and women and the healthcare services we expect, which can be particularly important when it comes to pregnancy and parenthood.

In November 2019, in partnership with Medici Senza Frontiere and the YWCA-UCDG Association Turin, we began a course on health and access to healthcare services for women who are hosted by YWCA in first-level accommodation (CAS) and therefore relatively new to Turin, as well as migrant women who have lived here for as long as 20 years, most of whom have children. Some of the women, despite having lived here for a long time, still face challenges in terms of integration and access to services, while others have more experience and knowledge on the subject. This project seeks not only to inform these women for their own benefit and that of their families, but also to equip them with information that they can pass on to others, as word of mouth can be a powerful tool among migrant communities. 

Services
We offer a range of services to support people in the process of integration and establishing a stable and dignified life in Italy. At the end of 2018 we employed a linguistic and cultural mediator to reinforce our link to the Nigerian community in Turin and help tailor our support, specifically with Nigerian women, who make up the majority of those trafficked to Italy for sexual exploitation.

Because every individual is different, we always start the support process with an interview, alongside our mediator, to help us understand the specific situation and needs of each person who comes to us. Commonly, the problems migrants and asylum seekers face are around their immigration status, work and housing, but there are also a whole host of psychological, health and other challenges that many people face. After this initial interview we seek to connect people to the appropriate services, whether they are in-house or offered externally by other local entities. Our in-house services include:

  • Accommodation – we manage two apartments in Turin where we can house people for up to 12 months to support their integration process. This is third level accommodation, as explained in What we do
  • Accountancy advice and services, including applications for residency or citizenship
  • Psychological support and counselling
  • Support in searching for jobs and housing
  • Language and educational tutoring for adults

Another service that we offer is legal consultancy, via a local Turin lawyer, has started a collaboration with IROKO offering our beneficiaries free and confidential legal advice in order to manage any problems that they might encounter in terms of immigration, citizenship, special protection, article 18 (social protection), and other similar matters.

Prevention of trafficking in Nigeria
Through scholarships and economic assistance this project aims to give opportunities to the girls at risk of being involved in trafficking networks, as well as to their families. 

Campaign against Legalising Prostitution in Italy
Since Iroko was set up in 1998, Founder Esohe Aghatise has been actively engaged in the international abolitionist network and a key figure in the movement, especially based on her knowledge of trafficking and experience as a mediator for Nigerian victims of trafficking, often for sexual exploitation. The proportion of victims of trafficking to Italy who were trafficked for sexual exploitation has been steadily rising in recent years, from 57.5% in 2016 to 90% in 2018. This type of trafficking exists to ‘feed’ the sex industry in Italy and Europe, which is why campaigning against prostitution is a key part of our work to combat trafficking. To learn more about this approach, click here.

There is currently political will in Italy to legalise prostitution, in particular from The League, one half of the governing coalition. Iroko is actively engaging with politicians at a local and national level to foster an opposition to The League’s proposals. In 2017 and 2018 Iroko held annual conferences on trafficking and prostitution, in partnership with other abolitionist organisations, and regularly organises and participates in meetings and conferences.

On 4th July 2019 our founder Esohe Aghatise participated in a hearing of the constitutional affairs committee in the Italian Senate that focused on prostitution in Italy. Follow this link to watch her speech in full (from 1:56:00).

International Political Activity and Lobbying
Iroko, in partnership with CATW, has been engaged in international policy and lobbying and since 2003 has taken part in the annual Commission on Women in the world (CSW) organized by The UN in New York. For more information on the international situation with regards to laws and conventions around trafficking and prostitution, click here.

Shelters
Since 2002 IROKO has managed two small shelters in Italy, which are categorised as third-level – hosting people who have been in Italy for several years, but still need support in terms of social integration and establishing a stable life for themselves – that housed up to 5 people at a time, for a maximum of 12 months.