US trafficking report ‘wake-up call’ for State
The US State Department has said that Ireland will remain on its 鈥榳atchlist鈥 for human trafficking this year.
The department鈥檚 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report says Ireland does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so. Romania is the only other EU country on the watchlist.
The Department of Justice said it was 鈥渄isappointed鈥 that what it described as the 鈥渟ignificant progress鈥 over the past 12 months was not seen as sufficient by the US State Department.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) said it was concerned about the report.
'Systemic deficiencies'
鈥淭he Government investigated and prosecuted fewer suspected traffickers, did not prosecute any labour traffickers, and victim identification decreased for the fourth year in a row,鈥 the US evaluation said.
鈥淭he Government continued to have systemic deficiencies in victim identification, referral, and assistance, and lacked specialised accommodation and adequate services for victims,鈥 it added.
The report said that, although one trafficker was convicted under false imprisonment charges, the Government had not obtained a trafficking conviction under the anti-trafficking law since it was .
IHREC鈥檚 chief commissioner, Sin茅ad Gibney, said the report should be a 鈥渨ake-up call鈥 for the State to act decisively on the issue.
鈥淢ost of the major issues, such as those pertaining to victim identification, protection and non-prosecution, are yet to be addressed,鈥 she said.
Significant step
IHREC acknowledged, however, the Department of Justice鈥檚 announcement in May of plans for a new national referral mechanism that would make it easier for victims of human trafficking to be identified.
It said this could be 鈥渁 significant step鈥 in addressing shortcomings in Ireland鈥檚 response to eliminating trafficking.
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said the Government had moved forward on a number of improvements in 2020 and this year 鈥 including the drafting of a new national action plan on human trafficking.
She was also critical of references in the report to allegation of widespread human trafficking in the fishing industry, saying assessments by NGOs in Ireland had found that these accusations were 鈥渨ithout foundation鈥.