Opposition parties say antigovernment critics are being kept behind bars. Smugglgling women from nigeria o italy to work as sex slaves. Now a dw news investigation helped to bring those human traffickers to justice. Our viewers on pbs and the united states, and all around the world, welcome. We begin with a bleak forecast, the likes of which the world has not seen since the 1940s. The International Monetary fund says the Global Economy is on track this year for the kind of downturn since the great depression. It is written today with farreaching measures. Mid lockdowns, business shutdowns and travel restrictions due to the covid19 pandemic the outlook is bleak. Before the pandemic emerged as a grave threat to Public Health and economic activity, the organization was expecting 3 growth in 2020. The imfs chief Economist Says that the current measures to contain the pandemic make a severe slowdown unavoidable. This is a deep recession. It is a recession that involves solvency issues and unemployment rates going up dramatically. These tend to leave scars. While there are strong policy actions being taken, some of this will spillover. The imf is optimistic of Global Growth back up to 5 5. 8 . We are actively deploying our 1 trillion lending capacity. Including through rapid disbursing emergency financing and debt service relief. We are calling on official creditors to do the same. The forecast is clouded by uncertainty and about the path that the coronavirus will take. A second outbreak could make the second economic collapse more extreme. A bleak picture there. Its amazing how the forecasts have changed. Which parts of the world stand to be worst affected by the lockdowns we are seeing. Just about no country would be spared. It will be spared of this crisis. The emerging countries are vulnerable. They have already seen a lot of closure as investors look for safe havens, particularly in the dollar. One of those countries which are usually dependent on tourism, coununtries like thailand and south africa, and those countries which actually entered the crisis like turkey and south africa. The eurozone countries are expecting to massively hit because of this crisis, and particular italy, spain. They have taken some of the more sweeping lockdowns as far as curtailing this disease. The imf already announced debt relief for 25 countries. How far is this going to go to help these nations that are struggling economically . It is a good beginning but it is not enough. Imf i is trying to show that moe is needed and thats why the other countries should collaborate. It cannot be dealt with 8 trillion have already been pledged in terms of stabilization. The says that is not enough. More collaborative efforts. There should be more discussions, more countries coming together. Coming to the rescucue of poorer countries. Sadly not much has happened. We are ready to do whatever it takes. It can help us deal with the crisis. Once it is contained. There is a leadership vacuum in international geopolitics. Thats the latest tonight, thank you. Turkeys parliament has said yes to releasing tens of thousands of prisoners as they try to release overcrowded prisons to curb the spread of the coronavirus. They say that the law excludes everyone critical of president erdogans government. It does not cover people jailed on terrorism child terrorism charges including journalists who were arrested in the crackdown following the alleged coup in 2016. It is an awkward moment for the group photo. They ignore appeals for physical distancing from the presidedentf the Turkish Parliament. Not surprising that they also ignored the criticism of the bill that commutes sentences for a third of turkish prisoners. Excluded are journalists aligned with the opposition. These only benefit your political priorities. The law introduced by his ak party and backed by his allies converts some prison terms to house arrests. 17 creditors have the coronavirus and three have since 17 prisoners have the coronavirus and three have since died. Almost all of the crimes committed include theft, fraud, physical assault, sexual assault, and violence against women. All of them. 90,000 inmates will be released from prison. The coronavirus pandemic is keeping turkeys daily life on hold. A 48hour curfew went into effect last weekend. Residents will be on lock down. Earlier dw spoke with the Green Party Parliament spokesman who is a prominent voice on german party relations. We asked him what he makes of this move by the Turkish Parliament. Turkey is the country that has the most prisoners under 65 years in all Member States of the european council. Its about 296,000 people in prison in turkey. The decision of the Turkish Parliament includes criminals, and includes people that killed other people, rapists, but not political prisoners. If you make a report about corruption, you stay in prison. The guy who was corrupt is freed. That explains everything in turkey. That was the green party speaking to dw news earlier today. To the pandemic, while the french remain under tight restrictions germans are waiting to hear what chancellor Angela Merkel will say about scaling back the lockdown. Restrictions arc due to expire this sunday and there are growing calls for the country to gradually be reopened. Germany has a tough decision. Keep restrictions in place like france or austria or start the path toward normal life. The consequences could be enormous either way. E asing restrictions easing restrictions can put physical health at risk but there are risks to keeping them in place. The restrictions are court are warranted but they have a high cost. Not just an Economic Cost but a social and psychological cost. We need to think about how to transition responsibly germanys Public Health institute is not against relaxation but is wary about how it happens. The latest figures for germany where 125,098 total cases which is an increase from the previous day. Total deaths are at 2969. New cases have slowed, but they have plateaued at a high level so any optimism must be the cautious kind. Cabinet members are hinting at a rollback on restrictions with caveats. We should do it stepbystep, keep control over the outbreak and make sure that we are able to keep treating patients. On wednesday the chancellor is set to discuss the options with leaders of their 16 states. As a federal system they have to be on board with what happens next. The final decision is expected shortly thereafter. A change in social distancing regulations would force all to comply but even politicians and doctors sometimes have difficulty following the rules. As columbias economy crumbles under the weight of the corona coronavirus, we will meet the venezuelan workers being forced to return to a country in chaos, a country that they fled. Time for a look at some of the other stories making headlines. Indias coronavirus lockdown is being extended to at least may 3. In a n nationwide address, the Prime Minister said that lives are more important than the economy. The restrictions have led to millions of irregular workers dependent on food handouts. Profits at u. S. Banks plunged in the first quarter. Wells fargo reporting and 80 9 drop in earnings. Earlier today, j. P. Morgan chase announced a 69 drop in quarterly earnings. And barack obama has endorsed joe biden in the race for the white house. The endorsement comes one day after his chief rival backed the former vice president. For years, columbia has been a haven from venice for venezuelans driven from their country by the economic crisis and violence. After columbia imposed strict rules thousands of venezuelans are turning returning home. What looks like a family stroll is really the beginning of an odyssey my carrying the few possessions that they hold dear with some wearing only flipflops on their fleet, these venezuelans are on their way home. Theyey came to cololumbia seekia better life, but since t they forceded them into l lock it has become difficult to make ends meet. W we decided to return. I want to leave but i want to stay. The quarantine is hard for colombians. There is no work. How are we supposed to pay our rent . They received care packages provided by the refugee agency. Nobody knows when they will get their next meal. With the country under quarantine the unofficial pitstops for hundreds of kilometers they will n navigate adadverse weather conditions and groups controlling rural areas. Eight organizations try to convince the migrants to stay. When they crossssed the boror with venezuela they will have to deal with quarantine. The conditions placing a large amountnt of people e under lockn are not ideal. That is why the u. N. Hcr and other agencies are discouraging returns. Not everybody wants to leave. Helen and her family arrived in bogota two months ago on foot. Despite the difficulties theyy face in columbia she doesnt want to risk venturing back to venezuela. I would prefer to stay. What are we going to do in venenezuela . Am i supposed to wait for my daughter to starve to death . With a little money they have spent on food, helen and her family could not pay this months rent. They risk being kicked out by theirr l landlord. I baig the columbia i have begged the colombian government to help us with rent payments. We are human beings not animals. Many of their fellow venezuelans have already lost faith in the authorities coming to the rescue. Tired of being treated like secondclass citizens during the pandemic, they have decided to leave, returning to venezuela with the political crisis still underway may not have been what they planned, but if they make it, at least they will be at home. Lets bring in the author of an International Crisis group report on the covid19 impact on venezuela and colombia. Is the colomombian governmnment doing a anything to support venezuelan refugeess . . Within the regegion we saw tt colulumbia was one of the first countries going into selfisolation what we see is that columbia is struggling to take care of its most favorable populations including venezuelan migrants and refugees and some measures that have been taken is that the lowest income classes are exempt from paying utilities. We want to make sure they have personal aid to defend the amount of refugees but it is difficult to register for them. We know that venezuelas Health Care System is on the brink of collapsing. It was that way before the pandemic began. Doesnt it make morere sense for refufugees to stayay in columbi. Capital city of bogota has about 400,000 venezuelans, they are struggling to make ends meet. Going back to venezuela means they have to traverse 50 kilometers and break quarantine and for the colombian government, there might get huge strain on the Health System before the venezuelans even reach their country and there are no guarantees for safety. Hospitals in venezuela often go without Running Water. In the whole country there are only about 200 intensive care units. Staying in columbia is also not a good solution. We know that returning refugees from columbia are required to selfisolate, but how realistic is that . It depends how you see it. The selfisolation is not something thehe refugees arare g to do. Their journey doesnt stop at the border. It might be not even halfway ththrough theheir journey b bece they havave to go fromom the bor to their respective homes. What the government is doing is puttining people inn quarantnti. Weve heard witnesses and we have s seen vidideos of these quarantine centeters and thehers no senatator in controlol, peope arare being stufuffed together r the woworth health c circumstan. There is no Running Water in these centers and no access to food. That is a t terrible situatin either way you look at it. Joining us tonight from bogota, thank you. A court in the us elegant italian city of florence has sentenced traffickers for up to 16 years in prison for smuggling Nigerian Women to italy to work as sex slaves. The investigation was in part due to reporting by dw news. Our reporters learned of the trafficking ring and follow the trail to florence. Rights groups have praised it as a rare success in the fight against sexual explication. Adrian is one of the reporters who uncovered this trafficking ring. He is based in cape town. Congratulations to your excellent work. Tell us about the report that you coproduced in 2016 that led to what we are seeing now. Backbend the number of migrants was going up trying to go from western africa through europe. We were working on a fivepart series. We went to nigeria as well as italy. We also wanted to talk to the human traffickers which turned out be very difficult. We tried that many times. When the research was almost done we finally found a victim who was willing to talk to us about her human trafficker. Lets have a look. In 2016 dw reporters investigated along the Human Trafficking route between italy and nigeria. Nigerian girls are recruited here. It is here that traditional priests forced them to pledge loyalty to t traffickers. The migrants passed the dangerous Sahara Desert in niger on their way to libya. From their, they crossed to italy with tens of thousands of nigerians as prostitutes selling sex for as little as 10 euros. One nigerian agreed to us about her madame. She wants to remain anonymous. The madadme trafficker to italy to force her into prostitutioio. He said we should walk on the road. He will bebeat us. He is so wicked. We traced down the madame in to a darkened apartment. A nigerian colic enters with a hidden camera under a false pretense. Good morning. How are you . Is madame around . He meets her and six female nigerians inside. Afterward, we confront the alleged madam. She denies allegations of trafficking and contradicts herself. The girls are tenants, she says. They have to do prostitution to get money to o live herere . They have to wowork outside. They do begging. So it is a lie when they say they are exploited . It is a life. W we talked to the state prosecutor about the researcher starts to investigate and finds proof it is no lie. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, she is only able to send us a written response after the conviction. I would like to thank you for your invaluable cooperation in the opening of the investigation which led to the identification of a significant number of victims. It is not clear what the future will look like or if they will be allowed to stay in europe permanently. Slavery has come to an end. Their time in slavery has come to an end. The rare story that we can report that may be has a good ending. Tell us more about how these girls were exploited. The young woman that you saw and the reports told us a story that we feared many times in nigeria. She didnt see an opportunity and was approached by a Contact Person of the madame you have seen who promised a better lifie in europe. They took care on the journey and arranged all of the transportation by land and by sea. Once she arrived, they told her you have to pay back 45,000 euros. They forced her into prosecute prostitution. Its not only this case, the prosecutor later found out that this human trafficker was involved in various cases even involved to germany and france. She brought many young women to europe and exploited her. They had to start working every day and were not allowed to come back home until 3 00 a. M. Even when they were on their period and had to spend ridiculous prices, for example 100 your per 100 euros per month for the pavement space where they had to prostitute themselves. Why is it so hard for prosecutors to convict the people like they saw in your story . The women are scared to speak out. They came to the country illegally and are afraid to talk to authorities. Many of them had sworn a note in nigeria which counts for a lot in the culture in this particular area of nigeria, but there is a little reason for optimism, the highest traditional Authorities Say it is not valid anymore. They are hoping this might be a game changer in the future. You are watching dw news live from berlin. After a short break i will be back to take you through the day. Stick around. Twenty the seven hundred and sixty two deaths in france to cover nineteen country now has a death toll of a fifteen and a half thousand. What is these. Stores that we open do so on condition of social distancining his perspective on the premises. Meanwhile follows the same path as in my micron announces an extetension to the lockdown inda will be on a contntinuous. Joining us francis passed another grim landmark the corona virus pandemic theres not a death toll of fifty thousand seven hundred and nine. As