Ireland misses deadline to expand human trafficking laws

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence, and International Instruments) Bill 2025 was originally intended to include the three key aspects of exploitation. Stock picture: Alamy

A deadline for expanding Ireland’s human trafficking laws to include forced marriage, surrogacy exploitation, and illegal adoption as forms of exploitation has passed without the changes being introduced.

The three elements were to be transposed into the definition by last Thursday, which was World Day Against Trafficking of the Person.