The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) today notes Ireland remaining at Tier 2 in the US Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, while warning that progress in Ireland’s response to human trafficking has stalled and that the Government must not step back from commitments already made but not yet implemented.
The report recognises a number of positive developments, including increased investigations, prosecutions and convictions, Ireland’s first convictions for trafficking for labour exploitation under anti-trafficking legislation, and a significant increase in the number of trafficking victims identified and referred to care.
However, the report also identifies serious and continuing shortcomings in Ireland’s response to trafficking. These include the continued failure to implement the revised National Referral Mechanism (NRM) resulting in what are described as systemic deficiencies and gaps in victim referral, assistance and identification.
The report identifies the continued failure to identify Irish nationals through the current NRM noting that the current system of identification is only valid for victims without legal residency in Ireland. It also identified issues with the under-identification of child victims and limited capacity and inadequate accommodation for victims of trafficking.
Chief Commissioner of IHREC and Ireland’s Independent National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, Liam Herrick, said:
“We welcome the positive developments referred to in this year’s Trafficking in Persons Report. The increase in investigations, prosecutions, convictions and victim identification is important, and Ireland’s first convictions for trafficking for labour exploitation are a significant development.
“But Tier 2 should not be interpreted as a sign that Ireland’s response to human trafficking is where it needs to be. By its very definition, Tier 2 means that the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so.
“We are increasingly concerned that progress to improve that response has stalled. In particular, we are concerned that the Government is now stepping back from its commitment to implement the statutory National Referral Mechanism provided for in the 2024 legislation.
“The NRM was designed to address fundamental weaknesses in Ireland’s existing system by creating a clearer, accessible, multidisciplinary pathway for identifying, referring and protecting victims of trafficking. The 2024 legislation was the product of significant parliamentary scrutiny and years of work. We should now be moving forward with its implementation, not backwards.
“This matters because the people most in need of protection are often the least likely to identify themselves as victims or to feel comfortable engaging with the Gardai in the formal identification process. The current system continues to leave people at risk of being missed or engaged in a system of identification that is not transparent, timebound or accessible.
“The message from this report should therefore be clear: progress is needed and welcome, but we need continued action to address gaps that remain. Ireland needs to deliver on its commitments to victims of trafficking, starting with an effective statutory National Referral Mechanism. It must address the serious inadequacies in access to accommodation for victims of trafficking that are identified in this report.”
The report found that 114 victims of trafficking were identified and referred to care in 2025, compared with 67 in 2024. However, all identified victims were foreign nationals, and the report highlights continuing gaps in the identification of Irish nationals and children.
The report also highlights the particular vulnerability of children, noting that proactive identification of child victims remains infrequent and that Ireland has no dedicated services or accommodation for child trafficking victims. The report states that the government did not effectively prevent inappropriate penalisation of victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked, including child victims of forced criminality. Such vulnerabilities and deficiencies were recognised in a recent report by IHREC on child trafficking. The Commission is particularly concerned that any move away from the statutory NRM would undermine efforts to improve early identification and ensure victims can access protection and support. IHREC has consistently advocated for a multidisciplinary mechanism in which responsibility for identifying victims does not rest solely with An Garda Síochána.
The Commission also notes the report’s finding that no victims of trafficking have ever been awarded restitution in Ireland, alongside continuing concerns about access to appropriate accommodation and specialised support.
Liam Herrick added:
“Victims of trafficking need more than commitments on paper. They need systems that work when they come forward and they need to be able to access safe and appropriate accommodation, specialised support and a realistic pathway to justice and remedy.
“Ireland has made progress, and we welcome it. But the test now is whether that progress is sustained and built upon in critical areas such as victim identification, specialist accommodation and child trafficking. We cannot allow momentum on human trafficking to be lost.
“The Government should reaffirm its commitment to the statutory National Referral Mechanism and provide a clear pathway to its implementation. At a time when the evidence shows that victims – particularly children – are still being missed, strengthening our identification and protection systems must be an urgent priority.”
The Trafficking in Persons report can be accessed here: 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report: Ireland
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