2.2.8. Social attitude towards returnee victims of trafficking

2.2.8. Social attitude towards returnee victims of trafficking

Family attitudes towards returnees vary widely. Some welcome them with compassion and recognise them as victims of crime, particularly in more informed or urban settings. Others, however, reject or disown them to avoid communal shame, blaming them for leaving or for ‘bringing shame’ through experiences of rape or sexual exploitation. In some cases, returnees are sent away to live elsewhere.246

Male returnees - often trafficked for forced labour or petty crime - may face less sexual stigma than women but are still ridiculed as failures or criminals. Male survivors of sexual exploitation often remain silent due to extreme247 and deep-rooted stigma and a lack of adequate support. Prevailing gender norms discourage men from expressing vulnerability or acknowledging trauma, resulting in many cases going unreported and unaddressed. The consequences of this neglect can be serious. There have been reports of male returnees taking their own lives, while others have been re-recruited into criminal activity, including robbery.248

Women face harsher stigma (especially around ‘sexual shaming, marriageability, and respectability), which often manifests as social shaming, gossip, and moral judgment directed at survivors. Many returnees from abroad are labelled as sex workers, viewed as having brought dishonour to their families, and are culturally excluded from being considered suitable for marriage.249 Such stigma also negatively affects their access to employment.250 In the Nigerian socio-cultural context, high expectations are placed on individuals living abroad. When returnees, especially women, fail to meet these expectations, they may face resentment, alienation, and even rejection from their families. These culturally driven expectations place added pressure on returnees, contributing to psychological trauma, hindering sense of belonging and their social reintegration.251

Dr Adeyinka noted that ‘there is persistent and culturally embedded stigma surrounding sex in Nigerian society.’ The academic reported that many trafficked women she interviewed were raped, got pregnant and returned to Nigeria with a baby, but they could not disclose that the child was conceived through rape, as the stigma attached to it could ruin both their lives. Instead, ‘they must constantly lie, saying the father is in Libya or has left them.’ Many victims fear that sharing such experiences could later be used against them during conflicts or disputes. The same source added that ‘this complex situation, where families may depend on returnees for support while simultaneously stigmatising them, shows the contradictory social dynamics surrounding reintegration.’252