Image via WikipediaThe Irish Times - Tuesday, November 2, 2010
JAMIE SMYTH, Social Affairs Correspondent
EUROPE’S TOP human rights watchdog has begun monitoring the Government’s actions to tackle human trafficking with the entry into force yesterday of a convention to curb “modern-day slavery”.
Groups working with victims of trafficking welcomed the new supervisory mechanism, which they said they hope will focus attention on low conviction rates for traffickers and inadequate supports for victims in Ireland.
The Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings commits the Government to protecting the victims of trafficking and prosecuting traffickers.
The council will monitor all measures put in place to tackle trafficking and issue recommendations if it deems the State is not doing enough to tackle the trade.
Ireland is the 30th European state to ratify the council’s convention on human trafficking, which formally entered into force yesterday in the Republic.
The anti-human trafficking group within the Department of Justice says there were six prosecutions for human-trafficking-related offences last year.
In 2009, the Garda investigated 66 cases of potential and suspected human trafficking – 13 cases concluded with no evidence of trafficking found and 53 were still ongoing at the end of the year.
The Immigrant Council of Ireland and Ruhama, which works with women who have faced sexual violence, say they are concerned about the low number of prosecutions of traffickers under the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008.
“This is a source of concern and is an indication that the legislation is new and is difficult to work with,” said Nusha Yonkova, anti-trafficking co-ordinator at the immigrant council.
She said measures included in the Act to protect victims were also being underutilised.
“There are 1,000 women working in prostitution every day in Ireland, and 97 per cent of these are migrant women. Out of more than 60 investigations, just 16 recovery and reflection visas for victims have been issued,” she said.
Sarah Benson, Ruhama chief executive, said enacting legislation to criminalise human trafficking in 2008 was a very positive step. But she said the very few arrests and lack of convictions were a “serious concern”.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern welcomed the entry into force of the convention.
“The Council of Europe convention is a very important instrument in the international fight against human trafficking, and its coming into effect for Ireland today is yet another milestone in the Government’s fight against human trafficking,” he said.
“It is a further indication of the Government’s strong commitment to tackling this heinous crime and to protecting its victims.”
TRAFFICKING IN 2009 SIX CONVICTIONS
- One person was prosecuted for three offences relating to a minor.
- One person was convicted of an offence of attempting to traffic a child for purposes of sexual exploitation.
- Three people were convicted in Romania as a result of cross-border co-operation.
Source: Irish Times
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