Purpose-built investigation urged into fishing worker exploitation

The International Transport Workers Federation has said the Garda National Immigration Bureau must launch an “active, purpose-built investigation” into the alleged exploitation of non-EU nationals in the fishing industry.

Ken Fleming, ITF co-ordinator for Britain and Ireland, said: “There needs to be severe deterrents for boat owners who are involving themselves in putting people to work who are here illegally. The only way that can come about is if there is an in-depth, active purpose-built investigation process by the GNIB.

“When individuals are found onboard to be there legally but not getting the right pay, that information needs to be handed over to the National Employment Rights Authority.”

The statement came after a year-long investigation by The Guardian highlighted the exploitation of non-EU nationals in the fishing industry in this country. It uncovered cases of human trafficking for employment exploitation.

Mr Fleming has been working with exploited fishermen in the industry for the last decade. Over that period, he said, up to 60% of workers on fishing vessels with more than two crew have been migrant workers and the majority are here with undocumented status, leaving them open to exploitation.

In the wake of the exposé, Marine Minister Simon Coveney said a project led by An Garda Síochána had already been established specifically to address concerns in relation to potential human trafficking in the maritime sector.

He said that project aimed to provide “a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach”, involving a broad range of state agencies including the relevant marine, immigration, and employment rights authorities.

Mr Coveney confirmed he will chair a taskforce, due to meet for the first time, tomorrow, involving the departments of justice, transport, his own department and a representative from the attorney general’s office.

Mr Fleming said the Garda project only came about “after a working party from the EU on labour trafficking identified the fishing industry in Britain and Ireland as an industry that showed signs of active trafficking and it asked Ireland to take the matter more seriously”.

Along with trade union Siptu, the ITF called on the Government to ensure innocent workers caught up in abuse are treated fairly by the State authorities and that their proper legal entitlements are provided as quickly as possible.

Mr Fleming said: “Siptu and the ITF are calling for these workers to be provided with a period of reflection in order for them to decide how best to regularise their status and, if required, to provide evidence in the event of the prosecutions of these gross violations of human and employment rights.”

Mr Coveney agreed with an amnesty. “If there are people working in Ireland at the moment of course they should feel they should come forward, if they have concerns or frustrations or that they are being exploited, we need to hear about that,” he said.

“And so, this is part of the work we need to do now, we need to establish the extent of the problem, whether it’s been exaggerated, or whether it’s not, and of course the fishing industry does need to have workers potentially coming from outside of Ireland if it can’t get a workforce in Ireland.”