Goodwill to tackle child trafficking but action needed

A report into trafficking shows that despite some good work, Ireland lags behind many in protecting children, write Dr Deirdre Horgan and Dr Shirley Martin

TRAFFICKING in human beings is recognised as a growing phenomenon throughout the world, but because of its often clandestine and fluid nature, it is difficult to quantify and make more visible. Nevertheless, it is estimated there are 1.2m children trafficked globally.

Ireland has been recognised, by the US department of state, as both a transit and a destination country for child trafficking. This is a problem not confined to Dublin or migrant children. It occurs nationwide and there is an emerging group of Irish children who are being trafficked within Ireland.