Rosa's Place closed: Ireland lacks housing for sex trafficking victims
Ireland has no specialist accommodation for sex trafficking victims after Rosa's Place closed. Ruhama reports a 30% rise in victims, calling housing an urgent priority.
Closure of dedicated trafficking unit highlights accommodation crisis
RTÉ News reports that serious concerns have been raised about the absence of specialist housing for sex trafficking victims in Ireland, following the closure of Rosa's Place — a dedicated eight-bed unit for women identified as potential trafficking victims.
Depaul, the homeless charity that operated the unit, confirmed the closure but said plans to reopen it are in place, pending Budget approval. Even when operational, the unit was considered insufficient for the level of need among women trafficked to Ireland.
Ruhama, the organisation that works with victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, has called on the government to treat the issue as a priority. Many victims are currently placed in direct provision, an arrangement Ruhama says must be changed. Chief executive Barbara Condon said that without a secure place to live, it is "almost impossible" for women to rebuild their lives.
The most recent Trafficking in Persons (TiP) report, which ranks countries globally on efforts to combat trafficking, described the Irish government's framework for providing accommodation to victims as "inadequate". The issue has been flagged in multiple successive TiP reports.
Ruhama's latest annual report shows that of the 1,242 individuals who engaged with the charity in 2025, 284 were identified as victims of human trafficking — a rise of more than 30%, or 68 additional victims compared to 2024. Accommodation was described as "a significant challenge" throughout the year, with service users requiring support related to IPAS transfers, the housing crisis, unsuitable placements and homelessness.
Victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation represented 28 different nationalities. The largest group — 177 individuals — were trafficked from Nigeria, followed by Zimbabwe with 27 and South Africa with 13.
Among those impacted by prostitution more broadly, 62 nationalities were represented. The majority were from Nigeria (63), followed by Ireland (46) and Somalia (40).
Caseworkers recorded a 77% increase in supporting service users on suicide prevention, a figure Ruhama's report describes as deeply troubling.
The report also documents the experience of one survivor, supported by Ruhama, who lost her mother to suicide at age 10 and entered street prostitution at 20 amid family involvement in crime and drug addiction. She was fined £100 in 1999 for loitering for the purposes of prostitution. After becoming drug-free in 2011, she completed her Leaving Certificate and qualified as a home care assistant, but a disclosure on her Garda vetting form relating to the conviction cost her a job in that field.
Former Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, who serves as an ambassador for Ruhama, said that effective solutions require "sustained political leadership and cooperation at national, EU and international level".
Source: RTÉ News