Children left at risk as Ireland stalls on new human trafficking referral system

Ireland identified just five child trafficking victims in 2023, compared to over 7,000 in Britain. Advocates warn vulnerable children remain unprotected due to delays in implementing a new referral mechanism.

Ireland's stalled trafficking referral system leaving vulnerable children exposed, advocates warn

Google News IE — Crime (en) reports that vulnerable children are being left at risk by Ireland's failure to implement a new victim identification system under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024, according to anti-trafficking advocacy organisation MECPaths.

Ireland identified just five child trafficking victims in 2023. Britain's national referral mechanism (NRM) identified more than 7,000 child victims in the same 12-month period.

Under current rules, only An Garda Síochána can formally recognise trafficking victims in Ireland. The legislation passed in July 2024 would expand that function to a number of government departments and agencies, creating a broader network of "competent authorities" able to identify victims. That mechanism has yet to be launched.

A Department of Justice spokesman said preparatory work is ongoing to finalise the operational aspects before the system can be commenced. He confirmed that An Garda Síochána remains the sole competent authority in the interim, and that other bodies encountering potential victims must refer them to gardaí.

JP O'Sullivan, programme manager with MECPaths, said the delay reflects a deeper structural failure. "The slow implementation of the mechanism highlights a systemic failure to prioritise the rights, identification, and protection of trafficking victims in Ireland," he said.

O'Sullivan added that the Department of Justice's third National Action Plan remains unfulfilled, leaving frontline organisations "underinformed and vulnerable children at risk." He described six years of civil society collaboration as having produced "little more than sidelined action plans and an information blackout, leaving us at a dangerous standstill."

The number of identified victims is expected to be significantly higher than the current system has recorded, advocates say.

External scrutiny of Ireland's record has been building. Two years ago, the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons report criticised the Irish government for failing to amend its national referral mechanism, noting that "systemic deficiencies in victim identification, referral, and assistance persisted." The report specifically flagged the need to better identify and protect Irish citizens, victims of labour trafficking and forced criminality, and vulnerable groups including children, sea fishers, and asylum-seekers.

Last month, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission wrote to Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan raising concerns about the lack of progress, including the delayed rollout of the referral mechanism.

MECPaths and other frontline organisations say that without a functioning multi-agency referral system, children who come into contact with social services, schools, or health providers — rather than gardaí — may not be formally identified as trafficking victims, leaving them without legal protection or state support.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)