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There are 300 slaves in Ireland (and the Government's response is ranked pretty well)

We rank second last on a global index of the prevalence of modern slavery.

Global_Slavery_Index_2014_final_lowres-page-008 Walk Free Foundation Walk Free Foundation

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IRELAND HAS RANKED low on a global survey on the prevalence of modern slavery.

With an estimated 300 slaves in Ireland, or 0.007% of the population, we rank 166th on the global index, second last only to Iceland.

As a percentage of the total population, Mauritania has the most people living in modern slavery at 4% (160,000).

There are an estimated 14 million in India, or 1.14% of the total population.

The 2014 Global Slavery Index, published by the Walk Free Foundation, has estimated that there are 35.8 million people living in slavery across 167 countries.

The index has defined modern slavery as where one person posses or controls another “in such as a way as to significantly deprive that person of their individual liberty, with the intention of exploiting that person through their use, management, profit, transfer or disposal”.

This includes concepts such as human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children.

The Irish Government’s response to the threat of slavery is also rated highly, receiving a BBB grade.

Sweden scored an A, while the Netherlands came out on top with AA.

The Central African Republic, Eritra, Syria, Iran, and North Korea (the only country without national laws against slavery) received the lowest grades.

“The findings illustrate a strong link between the stability or instability of a country and the vulnerability of its population to modern slavery,” the report reads.

Read: Trafficked Asian nationals forced into drug trade are getting tougher sentences than Irish – MRCI >

Opinion: Following the money – Irish slave owners in the time of abolition >

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Nicky Ryan
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