Only one woman given immunity from deportation

SEX trafficking victims, often with little or no English, are being left to fend for themselves after being rescued from brothels dotted around the country.

Ruhama, which works for the welfare of prostitutes, has also claimed that, despite numerous applications, just one victim of trafficking has been given the initial immunity from deportation guaranteed by the Government in legislation introduced six months ago. That woman only received the immunity yesterday.

According to Ruhama, unlike other countries in Europe, the victims of trafficking are not put into safe houses, but are left to find their own accommodation while the Gardaí investigate their cases. That is despite the fact the brothel owners and their associates, who force the women to have sex with dozens of men, are often released from custody relatively quickly while their cases are being processed.

Yesterday, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he would not sign deportation orders in respect of women who are subject to possible human trafficking. “We’re passing immigration legislation where we will be putting in place a reflection and recovery period for people who are the subject of trafficking,” he said.

“They will obviously be required to cooperate with the gardaí in the investigation of the crime of human trafficking, because we want to prosecute the human traffickers. In the meantime, we have an administrative system in place in the interim period between now and passing of the legislation.”

However, Gerardine Rowley of Ruhama said having the administrative system in place was fine in theory, but just one person had actually been granted the 60-day reflection period which precedes a possible six-month temporary resident permit. She also said the ministerial claim about no deportations was inaccurate as women they had encountered were in fear of deportation due to negative responses in refugee applications.

She added Ruhama was trying to support the women as best it could, but its resources were finite. “In Ruhama we provide safe accommodation and try to get them access to medical care, all the different services. But many women have deportation hanging over them as a threat. Because we don’t have a system that provides residency to the women, the only route open to victims, the only avenue they can take, is the asylum route. It is not the most appropriate, but it is all there is.

“Even though they are cooperating with authorities, telling their stories when seeking asylum, they get back letters saying they cannot have refugee status.”

She said the women are coming out of dreadful situations believing they are going to be protected, but find themselves being left with no state support and facing deportation to the country where their ordeal began.

“We have an obligation as a country to provide protection and assistance to victims of sex trafficking,” she said.

“We have the obligation because many of the women have been used by Irish criminals in our state and many Irish men have purchased these women for sexual services, which is abuse and violence.

“The one thing the victims need when they are traumatised is to feel safe and secure . . . if you could only imagine what these women are feeling when they threatened with being sent back to the country where the traffickers took them from in the first place.

“They have death threats on them and they are terrified.”