Prolonged volatility in Syria continues to expose young Syrian girls and women to the clutches of sex-traffickers in neighbouring Lebanon.
Security at the borders is said to be relatively tight, but according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that can increase refugees’ reliance on organised groups to get them out of the war-ravaged homeland.
“They're more likely to be trafficked and that brings into question illegal gangs and much more potential for abuse and for women in this case to be handed into abusive cells and networks in this country,” Matthew Saltmarsh from the UNHCR Beirut office said.
SBS spoke to 17-year old “Nana” explained through an interpreter that she trusted a man to help her flee Syria when her parents and brother were killed in the fighting.
“I thought that he was a good man but he wasn't - he wanted me to work in prostitution," she said.
"They force me to do that and if I refused they use anything to beat me, to hit me - you can call it torture.”
"Nana" doesn't actually know how much she was sold for just that she is still forced to see a minimum of 10-clients - each week.
She is what is referred to as “guaranteed” which means she is not actually paid a wage, just given food, shelter and a pittance in pocket money.
“Everything has changed, my body is now sold for everyone - not for one person or two people, but for everyone,” she said.
Caritas is a Beirut-based non-government organisation that helps trafficking survivors through a range of programs.
Rana Rahal heads up the Caritas refugee programs and says the chances of women escaping the organised groups are slim, but there are rare cases.
“For example the clients would facilitate because they felt a little bit compassion seeing the circumstance the women are going through,” she said.
SBS also spoke to a pimp who manages several Syrian girls for a Beirut sex-ring. Initially, the man denied the girls work against their will.
“We don't force anyone to work with us - actually all of the girls like to do the work and if she wants to go she is free,” he said.
He later explained how the prostitution ring funds medical care for the girls and conceded that they are only permitted to leave when visiting clients.
The United Nations says it's encouraged by a recent bust of a major Beirut prostitution ring- but believes ongoing volatility in Syria exposes a growing number of potential victims.
"Nana" said for her, any intervention would be too late; her childhood has been destroyed.
“Maybe I would marry, have some children but in this situation there is just no hope,” she said.
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