Loveth, Nigerian: "Once in Paris, I discovered that I had to prostitute myself to pay smugglers"

January 18, 2018

Credit: InfoMigrants

I left Nigeria because I had no future there and the situation was very difficult. The idea was to leave to be able to send money to my family who remained in the country. I met a woman who said she wanted to help me come to France under the payment of 40,000 euros. You are told that in Europe you will have money easily, but they do not tell you how.

So, I arrived in France in 2010, but to pay those who allowed me to come here, I discovered that I had to work as a prostitute on the street, in the Red Castle district in Paris with other Nigerian women. It lasted five years. It was horrible. I remember that one of my first clients took me to a hotel, forced me to sleep with him and then beat me. I had injuries all over my body. I wanted to tell the police but I was told that I could not do anything without the papers.