Department to launch action plan to help human trafficking victims

Figures provided by the Courts Service showed that since 2010, 198 people were before the courts in relation to sexual exploitation of children, trafficking of children for sexual exploitation, or attempts to do the same.

Victims of human trafficking will be able to come forward to a range of agencies under a new action plan being unveiled on Tuesday by the Department of Justice.

The establishment of a national referral mechanism, under the third National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, will mean that victims who may not trust police because of previous experiences in their home country, will now be able to come forward to agencies including the Department of Justice immigration services, the Department of Social Protection, Tusla and the Health Service Executive.

Training will also be a key element to the action plan, including ongoing training for airline and hospitality staff to help them recognise victims of trafficking.

Dedicated accommodation for victims of human trafficking is set to be provided under the plan which is also set to provide trafficking victims with protection from deportation.

“Effective anti-trafficking screening measures” at points of entry to the State are also highlighted as a key element of the plan.

Last month, figures provided by the Courts Service showed that 1,223 human trafficking-related offences have come before the courts since 2010, with 207 individuals facing cases. Of those, 198 were before the courts in relation to sexual exploitation of children, trafficking of children for sexual exploitation, or attempts to do the same.

Up to then, there had been 53 human trafficking-related cases before the courts so far this year, according to the Courts Service.

Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, said that human trafficking “is an exploitative and particularly heinous crime that preys on some of the most vulnerable, and is committed with no regard for life, dignity or for the most basic of human rights”.

She added: 

Victims of trafficking can be found anywhere and are often hidden in plain sight, and their vulnerability can make them particularly hard to reach. 

"Across Government, we acknowledge the seriousness of this crime and are determined to combat it. The publication of this Action Plan contains a number of important actions that will help us realise this, including the development of a training framework for all who come into contact with potential victims of human trafficking and the strengthening of mechanisms currently in place to identify and support these victims.” 

The Department of Justice says that one of the key objectives of the plan is to work towards the abolition of human trafficking and its demand.

Ms McEntee said that a recent report by Ruhama, which supports survivors of the sex trade, highlighted a 35% increase in the number of victims of human trafficking seeking the agency’s help.