LAST UPDATE | 6 Nov 2023
VICTIMS OF HUMAN trafficking will be protected from deportation to eliminate “further trauma and increased risk of harm”, under plans announced by the Government today.
The action plan also aims to provide exit pathways for people who are forced into prostitution and those who are vulnerable to trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Dedicated accommodation for victims of trafficking will also be established, but the exact details of this are not yet known.
Launching the Third National Action plan to Combat Human Trafficking, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said a referral system will make it easier for victims of human trafficking to come forward and access support.
The national referral mechanism will enable victims to contact a range of agencies – not just An Garda Síochána, as is currently the case.
The Department of Justice said this change recognises the fact that victims may not trust police services “due to experiences in their own countries”.
A number of government departments, An Garda Síochána, Tusla and the HSE will all play a role in implementing the new approach.
McEntee today said human trafficking is “an exploitative and particularly heinous crime that preys on some of the most vulnerable, and is committed with no regard for life, dignity or for the most basic of human rights”.
“Victims of trafficking can be found anywhere and are often hidden in plain sight, and their vulnerability can make them particularly hard to reach. Across Government, we acknowledge the seriousness of this crime and are determined to combat it,” she added.
Training
The action plan aims to ensure that effective anti-trafficking screening measures are in place at the point of entry to the State, as well as an expansion in funding for services.
There will be training for people who may come into contact with victims of human trafficking across departments and State agencies.
This will include the Border Management Unit, health and social care professionals, and Civil Registration Services staff working in the HSE.
Training, which will be developed through relevant NGOs, will also target frontline staff in industries such as hospitality, airline and shipping who may come into contact with people who have been trafficked.
Materials that raise awareness of the services available will be provided in various languages in healthcare and other settings.
The HSE Anti Human Trafficking Team will develop an online presence for reaching vulnerable and “hard to reach” victims with a view to increasing access to medical and social care services, the action plan notes.
Housing crisis
The plan notes that the current provision of accommodation “may not be suitable for the complex needs that victims of trafficking have”.
“While the housing situation in Ireland is quite challenging at present, actions under this plan link to the commitment under the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence to provide gender specific accommodation for trafficked women,” the document notes.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is “committed to establishing gender-specific accommodation with associated support structures for victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, the document adds.
Growing numbers
Ruhama, a charity which helps people affected by human trafficking, last month said there was a 35% increase in demand for services.
In 2022, a total of 42 victims were formally identified by An Garda Síochána. Most victims are trafficked into the State for sexual exploitation. Trafficking for labour exploitation also makes up a significant number of victims.
A report by the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Project on the Island of Ireland published by Mary Immaculate College in Limerick in 2021 suggests that the true incidence of human trafficking in the State may be 38% higher than the official figure.
The report was supported by the Departments of Justice in this State and Northern Ireland, as well as An Garda Síochána and the PSNI.
An Garda Síochána reports that 1,000 to 1,600 women are engaged in prostitution in any one year in Ireland and that prostitution and human trafficking are inextricably linked.
In September 2021 the first convictions in Ireland for human trafficking were handed down by the courts, and there are a number of other human trafficking investigations ongoing by An Garda Síochána.
Unaccompanied minors
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), the National Rapporteur on the Trafficking of Human Beings, has welcomed publication of the plan but said more needs to be done.
A spokesperson for the IHREC welcomed “the concrete timings, responsibilities and evaluation processes committed to in the plan”.
However, they said “crucial gaps must still be addressed to better protect and support victims” and the action must be “properly budgeted for”.
We are concerned at the lack of reference to age assessments for unaccompanied and separated minors.
“We are also concerned at the fact that there are no references to vulnerability assessments in the international protection process as a viable tool for early identification.
“This is a major intersection point between human trafficking and international protection, and we need these vulnerability assessments built in as a key tool for early identification.”
The spokesperson added that the plan does not mention the current amendment process of the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive – of which the upcoming provisions will be relevant for implementation in Ireland.
“This is a serious omission which must be addressed,” they said in a statement issued today.
Some of these provisions include adding forced marriage and illegal adoption to the list of forms of exploitation, and introducing a new article to consider criminal offences that are committed or facilitated by means of information or communication technologies.
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