The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’), as Ireland’s National Rapporteur on Trafficking of Human Beings has today said that Ireland needs a concerted focus on the elimination of human trafficking in the next year, and to proactively deliver for trafficking victims and survivors.
The 2025 Trafficking in Persons report (‘TIP’) acknowledges the State’s increased efforts, including more investigations, convictions, and funding for victim assistance and awareness raising. However, it highlights persistent failings to ‘fully meet the minimum standards’, including no convictions for labour trafficking, serious gaps in victim referral, assistance and identification, including regarding children and Irish nationals, and the continued failure to implement the new National Referral Mechanism (NRM). It also noted inadequate accommodation for trafficking victims, that there has never been restitution or compensation awarded, and a lack of trafficking specific training for Judges.
Similarly, the Commission has repeatedly called for Ireland to implement the new National Referral Mechanism, provided for in legislation in 2024, allowing access for victims without requiring cooperation with An Garda Síochána. The State must also offer gender specific, trauma informed accommodation to victims of trafficking.
The amended EU Anti Trafficking Directive provides strengthened obligations on Ireland regarding combatting human trafficking and must be transposed into National law by July 2026.
The Commission is particularly alarmed by the State’s ongoing failure to protect unaccompanied and age-disputed minors, who face inappropriate accommodation and the risk of being wrongly processed as adults. The upcoming domestic implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum poses additional risks, with accelerated procedures likely to miss vulnerable trafficking victims, especially without robust safeguards.
This TIP report marks 25 years of global anti trafficking work. Governments worldwide adopted the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, also known as the Palermo Protocol, in November 2000. There has been significant progress over the years but also challenges. This report has been delayed likely due to staffing cuts in the US State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. It is of note that the report flags that displacement and instability are drivers of Human Trafficking – a point that is particularly significant in the current context, including regarding Palestine “Traffickers are constantly adapting to world events, societal developments, and technological innovations. They capitalize on crises and conflict that displace populations and create vulnerabilities...To confront these emerging challenges, the anti-trafficking community must build on the lessons of the past and adapt those best practices for an ever-changing reality.”
Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, stated:
“Human trafficking is one of the gravest human rights violations, and Ireland needs to do more to respond effectively to this growing problem. While there are signs of progress, systemic failures in victim identification and protection cannot continue. We urgently need a trauma-informed, child-sensitive approach to combatting trafficking, and a clear commitment to ensuring victims are never detained, misidentified, or silenced by fast-tracked procedures. These issues are likely to become even more urgent in light of the overhaul of our asylum system next year, as we transpose the EU Migration Pact into Irish law.”
ENDS/
For further information, please contact:
Sarah Clarkin
IHREC Communications Manager, 01 8592641 / 087 4687760 sarah.clarkin@ihrec.ie
Notes to editor:
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is an independent public body, appointed by the President and directly accountable to the Oireachtas. The Commission has a statutory remit set out under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act (2014) to protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland, and build a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding in the State. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is Ireland’s national human rights institution and is recognised as such by the United Nations. The Commission is also Ireland’s national equality body for the purpose of a range of EU anti-discrimination measures.