Abstract
African irregular migrants risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea in small boats hoping to reach Europe. Women irregular migrants (WIMs) are an especially vulnerable group that suffer from violence and sexual aggression, but little is known about their actual experiences. The objective of our study is to describe and understand the violence against WIMs who arrive in Spain in small boats. A qualitative study based on Gadamer’s phenomenology was used. The data collection included twenty-six in-depth interviews with WIMs. Three main themes arose: “Poverty and discrimination push WIMs into migrating”; “WIMs as a paradigm of extreme vulnerability”, and “WIMs in small boats should raise the alarm”. WIMs who arrive to Europe in small boats have a history of violence, rape, prostitution, forced pregnancy, and human trafficking. Emergency care must include gynecological examinations and must make detecting sexual violence and human trafficking of WIMs part of their care protocols.
Highlights
Migrant and refugee movement is considered to be a political, social, and public health challenge around the world [1]
The objective of our study is to describe and understand the violence against Women irregular migrants (WIMs) who arrive in Spain in small boats
Our study concurs with Trovato et al [6] in that food and water are scarce, violence is common, and WIMs can suffer from sexual abuse during their journey [42]
Summary
Migrant and refugee movement is considered to be a political, social, and public health challenge around the world [1]. Irregular migrants (IMs) are not authorized to enter or stay in the country to which they migrate, as they do not have legal permission, documentation, or refugee status. Many of them arrived in small boats to the coasts of Italy, Greece, or Spain. In 2017, 1200 small boats reached Spain, with a total of 22,419 migrants and a confirmed death toll of 249 [10]. Could you tell me about your migratory journey? Tell us about any violent experiences and situations you have lived through on your way to coming to Spain in a small boat. What is your opinion about the difficulty of undergoing the migratory journey, being a woman, pregnant or traveling with a child? What is your opinion about the difficulty of undergoing the migratory journey, being a woman, pregnant or traveling with a child? Closing Final question
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