National Rapporteur
National Rapporteur on Trafficking of Human Beings Responds to US State Department’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“The Commission”) welcomes the US State Department’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, published today.
While there has been progress made in the past year – such as the publication of the General Scheme of the
Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill – there are still significant gaps in the protection and care of victims.
The Commission, in both our capacity as Ireland’s Independent National Rapporteur on the Trafficking of Human Beings and as Ireland’s National Human Rights and Equality Body, calls for immediate action regarding the delivery of gender-specific accommodation for victims as promised in the draft National Action Plan.
The accommodation of victims of trafficking needs an urgent overhaul and cannot be treated as a secondary issue when we face challenges such as the housing crisis and an increase in vulnerable people seeking International Protection. The delayed delivery of a specialised shelter for victims of trafficking is particularly concerning in light of all the evidence pointing to the gender-specific nature of trafficking to Ireland.
The preliminary data analysis of the National Rapporteur for the period 2013-2022 shows the most often encountered from of exploitation in Ireland is trafficking for sexual exploitation (TSE), followed by trafficking for labour purposes, (TLE) and to a lesser extent by trafficking for criminal activities (TCA)
. The gender dimension is particularly evident in TSE, with 95% of victims being women and girls, while TLE is also gendered, but to a lesser extent and affects more men (69%).
Significantly, in 2022, we had 5 reported cases of trafficking of child victims. This is a notable development, as no children were reported in either 2020 or 2021. Trafficking of children for the purposes of sexual exploitation is prevalent and represents a concerning development. Children represent 8-9% of all victims in Ireland. This is significantly less than the EU average (25%).
Combined data over the years indicate that Africa and the European Economic Area (EEA) and to a lesser degree Asia represent the main regions of origin for victims of trafficking in Ireland.
We would like to highlight that the awaited publication of the
Third National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking is crucial in ensuring a whole of government response where all State bodies and agencies work collaboratively to ensure that victims are supported and that perpetrators are brought to justice.
Chief Commissioner Sinéad Gibney said:
“While there have been recent positive developments in the State’s effort to fight exploitation and support victims of human trafficking, the inability to provide appropriate accommodation support to victims remains an ongoing problem.
The statistics show us that trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation is highly gendered and highly racialized and it is vital that these most vulnerable victims feel safe and protected when placed in accommodation.”
We welcome commitments from the Government to improve supports and facilities for victims, but concrete action is urgently needed to proactively deliver for victims.”
ENDS/
For further information, please contact:
Sarah Clarkin, IHREC Communications Manager,
01 852 9641 / 087 468 7760
sarah.clarkin@ihrec.ie
Follow us on twitter @_IHREC
Editor’s Notes
You can access the US State Department’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, by clicking this link:
Trafficking in Persons Report 2023 (state.gov)
And you can access the specific section on Ireland, by clicking this link:
Ireland - United States Department of State
National Rapporteur on the Trafficking of Human Beings:
In October 2020, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission became Ireland’s Independent National Rapporteur on the Trafficking of Human Beings. Under Article 19 of the European Union (EU) Anti-Trafficking Directive, all EU Member States are legally required to have National Rapporteurs or equivalent mechanisms. The Directive requires the National Rapporteur to assess trends in trafficking in human beings, measure results of anti-trafficking actions, gather statistics (including in co-operation with relevant civil society organisations), and to report.
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.
