Those gangs work in cahoots with camp officials. According to the news agency Dihaber women who fled the war in Syria with their families have been placed into the refugee camps in Elbeyli and Islahiye and are now pushed into prostitution.
The security guard of the refugee camp in Islahiye stated: "Children aged between 16 to 17 years in this camp are forced into prostitution. We do not know who the agents are. However the camp officials do permit them to freely enter and leave the camp. They say things like 'we will go to do some work' and they assert to need six to seven workers. Under the pretext of labour they take some women with them and after having put them through prostitution they bring these girls again back.
It is each time the same procedure. He said to be married to three Syrian women himself. Budak explained that all Syrian refugee women in this town have been taken out of the camp after agreements have been forged with their families, stating: "The approval of the women does not play a role, as soon as money gets paid to their families those women will not return to the camp once again.
Budak said that for this reason Kilis has turned to an industry sector for which agents have been assigned to keep this work going. Budak explained that following a deal with those agents, camp officials are getting contacted and women are taken out of the camps together with their families as if they are being taken for a ride. Budak went on saying that either in a village near Elbeyli or in a cafeteria in the city centre of Kilis a meeting is held with the families and after reaching an agreement the young women are "sold".
Budak pointed out that camp officials keep silent in the face of these acts, saying: "If those camp officials wanted to, they could prevent these things from happening. But they are saying 'we cannot impede people's weddings' and simply ignore the whole situation. Some women might truly marry, but in most cases the wedding is a gate to prostitution. Some days ago a 15 year old child returned to her family in the camp. But the child was pregnant. After finishing their job with the kid they sent her back to her family.
