US labels Ireland ‘destination, source and transit country’ for human trafficking

IRELAND was yesterday accused of failing victims of human trafficking, after a US government report categorised this country as a destination, source and transit country for trafficking gangs.

The US State Department’s Trafficking in Person’s report said the Government investigated 75 suspected offenders last year, nine more than in 2009.

In highlighting shortcomings in the Irish response to people trafficking, the report said Ireland was a “Tier 1” country and so recognised that it was “a destination, source and transit country for women, men and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour.”