A US Government report says there's been an increase in the number of Irish children subjected to human trafficking.
The State Department study says 44 potential victims of human trafficking were identified last year - 16 of whom were children - with 11 of them Irish nationals.
The report calls on the Government to do more to encourage convictions - and deter offenders from future crimes.
On reading the report, Sarah Benson, CEO, Ruhama said: “We congratulate the US State Department for compiling another extensive report on the worldwide issue of human trafficking; highlighting in particular the progress but also importantly the shortcomings of countries, including Ireland, in their efforts to combat this heinous crime.”
Sarah Benson, continued: “As a front line service to victims of sex trafficking, we witness the human consequences where there are gaps in the systems to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and punish traffickers. We concur with many of the concerns outlined in this year’s TIP report, particularly those dealing with the identification and protection of victims. These concerns include the flawed identification process, the low quality of housing provided for victims and the cumbersome referral process.”
Sarah Benson said: “A number of the recommendations in the 2014 TIP Report echo those made in other reports including those from GRETA, the ESRI and the OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking. There is now an excellent opportunity for the Irish government to build the progress and learning gained in recent years and take on board these recommendations when developing the new National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.”
Denise Charlton of the Irish Immigrant Council, says Ireland has failed to heed warnings from previous studies:
