African women perspective on gaining asylum My home a prostitution hub
Imagine being a woman claiming asylum, often having a long and winding road behind you. Asylum seekers especially women are confronted with many questions, some of them touching the very core of their existence. In reality, finding legal work for asylum seekers is an almost impossible challenge, as high lighted in my previous article. As long as a refugee has no permanent residence status or a positive asylum decision, they are not entitled to work or even attend subsidized German courses making the situation even more difficult, because with less language competences and qualifications many especially female ones have difficulties finding a decent job, And so women coming to a foreign country they consider a safe haven, still are confronted with the bitter reality of limited access to the employment market. This is the hardest thing to imagine, hence pushing many to the one thing that fits the profile: prostitution.
My first experience was when a fellow male asylum seeker from Afghanistan routinely offered to give me money for sex when ever he saw me. I was extremely offended by this and nearly threw a punch to this guys face. At this point in time I was only a month old in the asylum home. Before I knew it another asylum seeker of African origin came up to me telling me he had 20 Euro in exchange for sex. I shut the guy off to the extent that from that day on, he never dared look me in the eyes again. Such cases of men persuading young girls and women into sex for money is a common setting in the centres. The men are extremely cynical in their behaviour; they visit the centres looking for young girls who have just arrived in the country, ones who are still green and naïve about the system here. I am talking not only about men asylum seekers but even Germans and other nationals.
It was always common to see cars packed by the centres late evening. And when a young lady passes by, there is a man in the car signalling you to join him. Some times you think maybe he needs help. But on approaching the car he invites you in and when you hesitate he offers you his bid, for sex. Many women have fallen prey. Some of them because of the need to support kids or family back at home. Many have in fact been left with no choice but rather succumbed to it.
Once I met a German man coming from my asylum home. I thought he probably was there to visit a friend. He stopped me and asked for one lady Chenny (pseudonym) I told him I was not sure of her were bouts. Later I met Chenny and told her some man came looking for her. I described the man. She immediately frowned her face with disgust. I asked if she new him and if everything was okay. "He is just some guy, around I don't like him but I have no choice, he wants sex" she lamented. Just sex? I asked " yes my sister, what can I do, I have four kids back at home no one is taking care of them, the 40 Euro monthly government support is just not enough to remit home. And all he gives me is 20 Euro, despite spending hours or even a night with him. I felt her hurting.
While coming from my volleyball training, I meet this guy again at about 1pm. He remembers me and asks me if I could give in a full body massage for a fee. I told him I was not interested.
But as for Chenny she is not about to stop vending herself with in the home, till she is allowed to work or got the right to stay. The frustrating working possibilities have left many applicants to choose between destitution and a twilight world dominated by prostitution and the black economy.
Many have become victims of sex trade both by insiders and outsiders. Some of them cunningly promise the young girls and women support so they can stay in Germany only if they can sleep with them. Even my nearby coffee shop seller were I always bought my coffee once asked me if i needed a man for a night at a price. No wonder there were always many men sited in front of his coffee shop looking out for women coming from the asylum homes. The coffee seller acted like the link between the men and women. He did so by first befriending women asylum seekers who went to his café and later connecting them to the men for sex for money. I ceased going to his café.
To my surprise even women came around to purely convince good looking young girls to officially join the body vending business. A couple of them I know chose to take that path and still do so to date. While others still do it involuntarily with in the centres.
