Ireland is one of the weakest EU countries in dealing with human trafficking: US report
DUBLIN: The United States has said Ireland’s efforts to curb human trafficking are inadequate. The Trafficking in Persons Report 2021, published by the US Department of State, assesses that the country lags far behind in meeting the minimum standards for combating human trafficking.
Ireland, along with Romania and Belarus, is regarded as one of the EU’s weakest member states when it comes to combating human trafficking. At the same time, the report notes that, although Ireland is unable to fully meet the standards, efforts are being made to do so.
Ireland is currently on the Tier 2 Watch List, the only country in Western Europe to be included in the list, according to a list released by the US State Department. This is the second year in a row that Ireland has been included in the list. Ireland was ranked in Tier-1 until 2018, when it was relegated to Tier-2.
In response to Ireland’s ranking, Minister of State for Criminal and Civil Justice Hildegarde Naughton expressed disappointment that the Department of Justice’s efforts had not resulted in any improvement in the country’s ranking.
“We would of course like to be further along in advancing some of the improvements we are making in this area, but it is fair to say that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic in 2020 and the first half of 2021 we have advanced a number of these reforms and this is something that is unfortunately not reflected in the report,” she said.
At the same time, the report recognizes some of Ireland’s recent efforts, such as the appointment of an independent national rapporteur on human trafficking and the establishment of a formal national anti-trafficking forum.
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who released the annual report, nearly 25 million people globally are considered to be victims of human trafficking. “Many are compelled into commercial sex work, many are forced to work in factories or fields or to join armed groups. It’s a global crisis,” Blinken said
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