Ireland ‘still struggling’ on human trafficking
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has said that Ireland “continues to struggle” with the identification, support, and protection of child victims of human trafficking.
The commission, which is Ireland’s national rapporteur on the issue, made the comments in a report to the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).
It told the body that 162 trafficking victims were identified in the 2022–2024 period – a 30% increase over the 124 identified in the previous two-year period.
IHREC said that, while this probably reflected enhanced detection and identification efforts by Irish authorities, “the true rate of victims is likely much higher”.
Accommodation
While the commission’s report acknowledged “significant positive developments”, it highlighted concerns about what it described as “the highly inadequate” provision of accommodation to victims of trafficking – including for female and child victims.
It said that most victims who were international protection applicants continued to be accommodated in direct provision, adding that this was “wholly unsuited to their needs”.
IHREC welcomed the recent establishment of the first gender-specific specialised shelter but pointed out that it had limited capacity, with only eight beds.
NRM guidelines
It described the establishment of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which the commission will oversee, as “one of the most significant developments in the last number of years”.
The NRM provides a structured process for identifying victims of trafficking and ensuring that they receive appropriate support.
IHREC pointed out, however, that the NRM was not yet functioning, as the operational guidelines required had not yet been published.
Use of detention ‘unsuitable’
The commission also expressed concerns about the potential impact of the domestic implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on people at risk and victims of trafficking.
“The potential application of accelerated procedures to victims of trafficking and a screening procedure over a very truncated timeline are particularly concerning,” it stated.
The human-rights body also queried the use of detention in any new system, describing it as “completely unsuitable” for victims of trafficking and noting “the lack of provision for robust oversight and human-rights monitoring” in the proposed domestic implementation.
“Rather than exacerbate their distress through arduous examination and detention processes, or inappropriate accommodation, we have a duty to provide these victims with every support possible,” said chief commissioner Liam Herrick.