Some 53 victims of human trafficking, including five children, were officially identified in Ireland in 2023, while a “stark increase” in female victims was also recorded, according to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).
Amid an overall 26 per cent increase in victims from 2022, the IHREC’s third National Anti-Human Trafficking Report noted a “stark” 33 per cent increase in female victims across all forms of trafficking.
In total, 42 female victims were identified (79 per cent), up from 27 in 2022, while the remaining 11 were male (21 per cent), down from 15 the year prior, according to the report published on Wednesday.
Five children, four of whom were girls, were identified as victims in 2023. Two girls were trafficked for sexual exploitation while the remaining three children were trafficked for criminal activities.
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Since 2013, 566 victims of human trafficking have been identified, 44 of whom were children, representing 8 per cent of all victims.
Although this is significantly less than the EU average of 15 per cent, the IHREC believes this is due to a lack of “robust enough” systems to identify child trafficking victims.
Figures concerning victims overall are believed to be underestimated by about 40 per cent due to the “clandestine” nature of the crime and the complexity of detecting and confirming victims, the IHREC said.
The majority of victims (28) were trafficked for sexual exploitation, while 16 were trafficked for labour exploitation. The remaining nine victims were trafficked for criminal activities.
There was a slight decrease in male victims identified in 2023 overall, including in trafficking for labour exploitation, which is primarily male-dominated, from 12 in 2022 to eight in 2023.
A more notable change was recorded in the number of those identified as having been trafficked for criminal activities, rising from zero in 2021 to nine in 2023, now representing 17 per cent of all victims of trafficking.
Six female victims were trafficked for criminal activities, representing the first female victims of this type of exploitation since 2019.
“The situation in Ireland mirrors the EU where novel and less usual forms of exploitation, such as forced marriages and illegal adoption, are on the rise,” the report states.
More than half of all victims in 2023 (28) originated from Africa. A further 15 originated from Europe while eight were from Asia. The remaining two victims originated from Latin America.
The report noted prostitution, escort agencies, the pornography industry, and massage parlours as high-risk environments for sexual exploitation.
Agriculture, construction, seasonal work, food processing, hospitality, cleaning and domestic work are some of the high-risk sectors identified for labour exploitation.
Although new legislation enacted in July will make it easier to identify victims, the IHREC warned of “gaps”, specifically relating to child trafficking, and recommended a separate mechanism for identification, referral and assistance of child victims.
It also reiterated the need for the equal treatment of victims, regardless of their nationality, immigration circumstances or international protection claims as well as statutory protection from prosecution for victims.
Separately, the IHREC recommended national campaigns “targeted at demand” to combat the upward trend in technology-facilitated trafficking, which would, in particular, address young men as “potential buyers”.
It also recommended a review of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act, saying it is concerned that sufficient time and regard has not been given to the State’s obligation to prevent and combat exploitative surrogacy, which it described as “the most concerning novel and emerging forms of trafficking”.
Forms of human trafficking and exploitation beyond that of sexual and labour exploitation are increasing in prominence across the European Union, it said, noting forced marriage, illegal adoption, and surrogacy as examples.
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