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45 people, including 23 children, were trafficked into Ireland last year

In 39 cases, those trafficked were subject to sexual exploitation.

HALF OF ALL people trafficked into Ireland last year were children, according to new Government figures.

45 people were identified as victims of human trafficking in 2012. The majority – 31 – were female, and 23 were children.

In the vast majority of the detected cases – 39 – the victims were subjected to sexual exploitation, while six others were subjected to forced labour.

An additional three people were initially identified by authorities, but after investigation were established to be cases of illegal immigration.

More than 200 people were identified as victims of human trafficking in the previous three years. The corresponding figure for 2011 was 57.

Reacting to the release of the preliminary figures for last year, the Immigrant Council of Ireland called on the Government to act on “growing evidence that sex-trafficking is going undetected”.

“As a frontline organisation, the Immigrant Council of Ireland fears that many more have not been found – and may never be found,” CEO of the organisation Denise Charlton said.

“It is clear a multi-million euro trade run by pimps, traffickers and organised crime is targeting our communities and our laws are not robust enough to respond.”

The group is involved in a long-running campaign to bring in new laws to target buyers of sex.

Read: Ireland’s EU presidency ‘confused and inadequate’ on female genital mutilation >

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14 Comments
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    Mute Jazz O'Gorman
    Favourite Jazz O'Gorman
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:45 PM

    You never run the risk of being stopped by the Gardai and asked for ID, unless you commit a crime, Ireland is a perfect destination for people that don’t exist.

    111
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    Mute al shamen
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    Sep 27th 2013, 6:23 PM

    Two articles in two days from the Immigrants Council.When is the budget again?Quangos like the Immigrants Council should be scrapped immediately.Who the hell does Denise Charlton think she is issuing demands to our Govt. to bring in new laws that suit her agenda.

    62
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    Mute Morticia
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:46 PM

    Immigrant Council of Ireland ? Again? These ‘one man and a dog’ outfits are becoming a growth industry.

    60
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    Mute Muriel Gowing
    Favourite Muriel Gowing
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:56 PM

    There’s no such thing as trafficking people for prostitution. It should be legalised because it is a man’s right to buy sex wherever and whenever he chooses.

    I’m being sarcastic but the pro-prostitution lobby will be all over here like a rash trying to deny that sex trafficking exists in Ireland.

    58
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    Mute feck'n voters
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    Sep 27th 2013, 9:17 PM

    We understand that there is a rage/hate based campaign to bring legislation to criminalise the client before the MEP elections next year as Emer Costello (an abolishionist) will not survive the vote. However, few abolishionists educate themselves (http://joy.org.au/thevixenhour) enough to realise that every parish has many disabled people in families that are clients, some are their relatives. The support of the journal to post two pro Immigrant Council ads in one day is shocking and building real opposition to this campaign that is a PR stunt on the back of the 2012 International Eurcharistic Congress.

    Muriel please broaden your education, there are many Irish women that are sex workers in Australia (http://www.thejournal.ie/emigration-figures-ireland-ucc-1101795-Sep2013/) – are they trafficked because they asked their parents for the flight money? Sex negativity is growing from religious radicalism into radical feminism which damagingly devicive. It is purely a sex-shame campaign by the likes of Rachel Moran who made bad choices and wants disable people to suffer her control.

    15
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    Mute Muriel Gowing
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    Sep 27th 2013, 10:06 PM

    Sex-shame and traffick-shame are not the same thing unless the trafficked person is being forced to work as a sex worker.

    There has been outrage over the treatment of Nepalese construction workers in Qatar and rightly so. Their working conditions are horrific and they aren’t getting paid. Why isn’t there simular outrage over trafficked workers in Ireland? Why are people trying to deny it exists?

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    Mute Ivan Karpenko
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    Sep 28th 2013, 10:45 AM

    why on earth would the pro-prostitution lobby be denying sex trafficking exists in Ireland? The basic point that most pro-prostitution opinionated people would make that if it were legal, regulated and taxed, there wouldn’t be room in the market for illegal prostitution with use of enslaved women… There shouldn’t be a “right to buy sex where ever one chooses”, however there should definitely be the legal option of selling it. Also, separating the sexes like that is a bit 20th century, there are plenty of women that would – and do – pay for sex from working men.

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    Mute Patrick Gormley
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:30 PM

    In all honesty, does anybody believe these figures…. This goverment just keeps spewing out lie after lie. These so called 39, would they be the ones shifting around Grafton St on a Saturday afternoon. ?

    42
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 27th 2013, 6:26 PM

    What is the source for these “Government Figures”? 39 cases and not one arrest?

    41
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    Mute Muriel Gowing
    Favourite Muriel Gowing
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:56 PM

    There’s no such thing as trafficking people for prostitution. It should be legalised because it is a man’s right to buy sex wherever and whenever he chooses.

    I’m being sarcastic but the pro-prostitution lobby will be all over here like a rash trying to deny that sex trafficking exists in Ireland.

    31
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    Mute Michael Fagan
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    Sep 27th 2013, 11:27 PM

    They were the ones that were discovered how many trafficked humans go undetected
    Ireland’s shame .

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    Mute Kathleen Walsh Dixon
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    Sep 27th 2013, 7:27 PM

    Why is the law not it. Rediculous …

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    Mute Anthony Quinn
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    Sep 28th 2013, 8:14 AM

    Once i see the i.c.i in the article
    I just stop and go back to the main page…wonder how many immagints
    Work in the ici anyway..

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    Mute susanna smyth
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    Sep 28th 2013, 9:33 AM

    Immigrant council another cash grabbing quango making shock horror claims they cant prove

    1
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