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The number of women being trafficked into Ireland and sexually exploited is on the increase, according to statistics released today.

Ruhama, an organisation which provides support services to women who have been trafficked, helped 44 victims of trafficking during 2007. Of these cases, 33 were new referrals for 2007.

After Ruhama carried out assessments on the 33 new cases, one woman was deemed smuggled but at high risk of being trafficked and five other cases were trafficked into countries outside of Ireland but escaped here for help.

The remaining 27 women were identified as trafficked into Ireland for the purposes of sexual exploitation. They came from Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Burundi, Malawi, Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Thailand, Brazil, Romania, and Lithuania.

Three of the trafficked women were minors. The remainder were aged between 20 and 30.

More than half of the victims were trafficked into locations outside Dublin such as Kilkenny, Waterford, Sligo, Athlone, Dundalk, Drogheda, Monaghan and Donegal.

Gerardine Rowley of Ruhama said she was seeing a significant increase in the number of women being trafficked into this country for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

“Ruhama is a small organisation - based in Dublin - so understandably we would have had contact with very few of the overall population of trafficked women,” she said.

“It must also be accepted that women who have been trafficked are strictly controlled, very afraid and live in fear - so they are unlikely to make or have contact with organisations such as Ruhama."