Ireland is failing to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, a new report from the US State Department has claimed.
According to the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, “the Government of Ireland does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking,” though the report acknowledges that the state is taking steps to improve its handling of the matter.
“The [Irish] government has never convicted a trafficker for labour trafficking,” the report reads.
“Courts did not convict any traffickers in 2022, a decrease compared with the conviction of three traffickers in 2021 and one trafficker in 2020.”
The report adds that before 2021, there were no human trafficking convictions for at least 7 years in a row.
“Prior to the June 2021 convictions, the government had not convicted any traffickers under the anti-trafficking law for at least seven years, despite formally identifying more than 500 trafficking victims during that time,” the report reads.
It adds: “The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials complicit in trafficking crimes.”
The report goes on to claim that “the prevalence of human trafficking in Ireland is likely higher than official statistics report.”
“A comprehensive 2021 study found that from 2014 to 2019, the true number of trafficking victims was likely 38 percent higher than official national statistics,” the report said, identifying “undocumented” workers as the most likely group to fall victim to trafficking crimes.
“Brazilian women are vulnerable to fraudulent recruitment and promises of employment in cafes and massage parlours, or as au pairs only to be forced into commercial sex upon arrival in Ireland,” the report claims.
“Traffickers exploit victims of forced labour in domestic work, the restaurant industry, cannabis cultivation, nail salons, food processing, waste management, fishing, seasonal agriculture, hospitality, and car washing services.”
The report also hit out at “chronic and systemic deficiencies” in the identification and assistance of trafficking victims, saying that victims were left with “inadequate and unsuitable accommodations.”
“Additionally, the government identified fewer trafficking victims among vulnerable groups, specifically sea fishers, and decreased investigations of trafficking crimes. The government did not report providing trafficking-specific training to any judges and has never awarded restitution or compensation to any victims.”
The report does outline some ways in which the government is reportedly attempting to rectify the situation.
“Ireland’s recent efforts to combat human trafficking includes increasing funding for victim care and awareness raising efforts,” the report reads.
“The Government also terminated the Atypical Working Scheme for non-European Economic Area (EEA) sea fishers, which inadvertently increased worker vulnerabilities to trafficking.”
Ireland is considered a Tier 2 country regarding trafficking, meaning that the country falls short of the global minimum standard, but is taking steps to address the issue.