‘Survival sex’ rising problem in refugee camps in Greece, reports UNHCR

Women afraid to report cases to avoid deportation

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHRC) says many female refugees are forced to resort to ‘survival sex’ in many refugee camps in Greece, as German media outlet ‘Deutsche Welle’ reports. As the report in Deutsche Welle points out many women are subjected to forced sexual acts in order to survive, especially in the makeshift refugee camps, citing firsthand accounts from women like Zara from Afghanistan. She told the media outlet that she was forced to prostitute herself to the traffickers as she had no money to pay for her and her sister’s and two nephews’ crossing across borders. Zara, who stayed at the makeshift Idomeni camp on the borders with FYROM, says she unsuccessfully attempted to cross into FYROM 8 times. ‘The camp is not good for women. We are alone, we do not have men with us, husbands, a brother and no money. They sexually harass us’, she says. ‘We need money to cross the borders. And we don’t have any. So…’, Zara says. Katerina Kitidi, who is a member of UNHRC in Greece, told Deutsche Welle that reports of unprotected women suffering sexual harassment from all around Greece reach the organisation’s office all the time. ‘These reports concern domestic sexual violence against women, as well as ‘survival sex’ and harassment’, says Kitidi. UNHRC fears many instances are not even reported by women for fear of reprisals or deportation.