One of the important social justice issues of our time is human trafficking

Fr Luke Gregory ofm

Custody of the Holy Land

It is a fact that one of the important social justice issues of our time is human trafficking. Indeed, over 60 percent of all migrants to Greece, legal and illegal, are female, and over 20,000 migrant women are trafficked annually to work in Greece. Approximately 40,000 women and children aged 12-25 are trafficked each year in Greece.

We have come to recognize signs of trafficking. There are often injuries such as bruises, cuts, and/or broken bones from abuse and evident malnourishment. They often look unkempt, are in the same clothing and have poor hygiene. Many have no id (i.e., passport and/or papers). To this end, refugee, and migrant women and children, are highly vulnerable to trafficking. ngos report organized criminal groups may subject women in migrant and refugee camps to sex trafficking in makeshift brothels.

The definition of human trafficking is provided by the Palermo Protocol (un General Assembly 2000-Annex ii), which defines human trafficking as:

“The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

Most refugees and asylum-seekers have relied on and continue to rely on smugglers at some point during their journeys. In many instances such smugglers exploit migrants for labour, commercial sex, or participation in criminal enterprise, including participation in human smuggling organizations. Traffickers use social media to recruit potential victims and advertise commercial sex through mobile phone applications and online platforms.

We are aware of these facts as the refugees arrive and so our small Franciscan mission in Rhodes remains committed to welcoming these marginalized people. Many of them have travelled from Syria, Afghanistan, and before the war, from Gaza. They make their way to Turkey and then the dangerous crossing over the Aegean Sea. The journey that they embark on from Turkey is very dangerous and even more so in winter, because the sea is very rough and very deep. What happens is the traffickers, instead of placing 17 people in a dinghy, put about 30 in these flimsy vessels; because of the extra weight, the dinghy then goes down to the level of the sea, so any small movement in the sea causes water to enter, and they panic. They don’t know how to swim. So how many of them die in the sea, we will never know. They pay huge sums of money to the traffickers, and it is said that it is a multibillion-dollar operation.

The Custody of the Holy Land places significant emphasis on providing basic support for refugees fleeing war-torn countries, poverty, and violence of various kinds. We offer psychological support, focused on the mental well-being of those who arrive and who have undergone arduous journeys and cultural displacement. This is often just taking the time to listen, to smile and in fact, just to be near them.

Due to conflicts in the Middle East, there has been a notable increase in the number of refugees arriving on the Greek islands. We are actively involved in providing a warm welcome to all without discrimination. Their needs, including refreshments, food, hygienic products, children’s toys, and clothing, are being met with empathy and compassion to address the challenges and hardships faced by many women, children, and men. Providing a supportive presence, comforting words, and warm smiles alleviates the suffering of individuals fleeing the ravages of war. The journey of the refugees in pursuit of loved ones and improved prospects is undeniably challenging, with fear often becoming an enduring companion. However, when they reach Rhodes, we greet them with friendly faces, outstretched hands, and a welcoming embrace rooted in the Christian principle of goodwill. Saint Francis told us that we must reach out to those most in need. So, we never ask people what their religion is, or where they are coming from, unless they offer this information to us. We simply ask, “What do you need? How can we help you?” This for us is what’s important.”