Ireland could become a destination or transit zone for the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation, Ms Mary Banotti MEP has warned in the European Parliament. Ms Banotti called on the Government to establish a multi-agency task force to address the issue as it affected Ireland.
MEPs yesterday voted in favour of resolutions calling for action to tackle the growing problem of women faced with sexual exploitation. In particular, the member-states are requested to introduce laws that enable those found guilty of trafficking in women to be prosecuted and for an emergency telephone number to be set up where cases of enforced prostitution can be reported.
The report from the Committee on Women's Rights describes the trafficking of women as a late20th-century form of slavery. It stated most of the victims were women who were sexually exploited. The parliament decided to expand the issue of sexual exploitation of women to include the trafficking of humans in general, especially children.
The report indicates that an estimated 500,000 women are being trafficked into and through the EU annually. The women are mainly from Africa, Asia, Latin America, countries of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Ms Banotti said the women are being brought into the trafficking net by being offered work opportunities in the EU as au pairs, domestic workers or waitresses. In other cases they are offered introductions with a view to marriage.
Reporting for the women's committee, a British MEP, Ms Susan Waddington, called for parliament to accept the report. She wanted NGOs to have maximum access to programmes which prevented trafficking and for gender equality to feature in negotiations on enlargement of the EU.
The Green MEP, Ms Nuala Ahern, called on the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, to prepare a register of convicted paedophiles. "We cannot accept a situation where Ireland becomes a safe haven for paedophiles running from exposure in other countries."