Waifs in Azerbaijan now prefer sexual services to physical labor, reported Trend Life, referring to Kyamalya Aghazade, Chairwoman of the Children’s Association of Azerbaijan.

“They believe sexual services are the easiest way of earning money,” Aghazade said, referring to an Association-conducted poll.

The homeless children find their partners in the streets – their “friends” bring the partners for them – as well as by means of Internet. Five of the 100 girl-respondents found their partners by means of Internet.

Other homeless children mostly earn their living at parking places, as loaders at markets and as car washers. Still others are beggars.

According to unofficial data, the total number of waifs reaches 7,000 in Azerbaijan.

Chief of the Head Department for Human Trafficking Control, Ministry of the Interior of Azerbaijan, Javad Shikhalilev raised the problem today. Referring to Shikhalilev, 1news.az reported that Azerbaijan’s law-enforcement agencies have registered 71 human trafficking cases this year, with 82 victims and criminal proceedings against 65 people. Shikhalilev also reported that 134 brothels have been closed, and 82 cases of prostituting have been registered in Azerbaijan this year.