A suspected case of human trafficking for forced organ removal is highlighted in a report published on Thursday.
It is among 162 cases of human trafficking identified between 2022 and 2024, according to the monitoring report from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).
The latest figure marks a 30 per cent increase on the preceding three years (2019–2021), when 124 victims were identified.
The number of child trafficking victims has increased by more than 50 per cent in six years despite a context of “chronically low rates of identification of child victims”, the report warned.
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Of the most recent cohort of victims, 20 were children, compared with nine in the preceding three years.
The most frequent reasons for people being trafficked were for sexual exploitation at 62 per cent, labour exploitation at 28 per cent and for forced criminal activities at 9 per cent.
“In the reporting period there was one case of suspected trafficking for organ removal,” said the report.
“The data indicates that trafficking for sexual exploitation has remained the most often identified form of exploitation and that it is increasing steadily from year to year.”
The report also said that trafficking for labour exploitation was the second most identified form of exploitation, while trafficking for criminal activities was increasing.
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Anecdotal information also suggests trafficking for forced marriages and exploitative surrogacy, it added.
The majority of child and adult victims were women or girls, with 43 male and 119 female.
There are also ongoing concerns not all child victims are being identified as minors, while those taken into Tusla’s care are not always kept safe from traffickers. Reports of migrant girls in care homes being targeted for sexual exploitation are cited.
“Evidence shows that the accommodation of children in State care institutions is associated with risks of exploitation and human trafficking,” said the report.
Separated and unaccompanied children whose age is in dispute – typically aged between 15 and 17 – “are some of the groups most vulnerable to trafficking”, it said.
IHREC is “concerned” that where Tusla says a young, unaccompanied migrant is “ineligible” for its care that they are placed in adult accommodation “often without a vulnerability assessment”.
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As the mandated national rapporteur on trafficking of people, IHREC draws on data provided “by State Agencies and public bodies engaged in the trafficking response” for its regular reports to the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (Greta).
“Concerns remain regarding the highly inadequate provision of accommodation to victims of trafficking,” said the latest report. “Most victims who are international protection applicants continue to be accommodated in direct provision, which is wholly unsuited to their needs, particularly for female victims of trafficking.”
It has concerns on “the potential impact of domestic implementation of the EU pact on migration and asylum on people at risk and victims of trafficking.
“The potential application of accelerated procedures to victims of trafficking and a screening procedure over a very truncated timeline are of concern,” it said.
The pact aims to streamline migration and asylum policy across the EU and is due to come into force in the first half of next year.
