Ireland still ‘tier two’ in US trafficking report
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has called for “a concerted focus” on the elimination of human trafficking in Ireland in the next year.
Its statement came after the publication of an annual report on the issue from the US State Department.
The department’s (TIP) keeps Ireland at ‘tier-two’ level for the fourth consecutive year.
It said that the Government did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but was making significant efforts to do so.
Victim referral
IHREC, Ireland’s national rapporteur on the issue, said that the report acknowledged the State’s increased efforts – including more investigations, convictions, and funding for victim assistance and awareness-raising.
The TIP report, however, also highlights a lack of convictions for labour trafficking, serious gaps in victim referral, assistance, and identification, and a failure to implement the new National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
It also notes inadequate accommodation for trafficking victims and a lack of trafficking-specific training for judges.
The commission has repeatedly called on Ireland to implement the NRM, which was provided for in legislation in 2024, allowing access for victims without requiring cooperation with An Garda Síochána.
IHREC says that it is ”particularly alarmed” by what it describes as the State’s “ongoing failure” to protect unaccompanied and age-disputed minors, warning that they face inappropriate accommodation and the risk of being wrongly processed as adults.
“The upcoming domestic implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum poses additional risks, with accelerated procedures likely to miss vulnerable trafficking victims, especially without robust safeguards,” it adds.
‘Systemic failures’
IHREC’s chief commissioner Liam Herrick said that Ireland needed to do more to respond effectively to the problem.
“While there are signs of progress, systemic failures in victim identification and protection cannot continue,” he stated.
“We urgently need a trauma-informed, child-sensitive approach to combatting trafficking, and a clear commitment to ensuring victims are never detained, misidentified, or silenced by fast-tracked procedures,” Herrick stated.