Anti-trafficking toolkit launched to guide supports for victims of human trafficking in the international protection process
Human trafficking remains a serious issue in Ireland. Classified internationally as a form of gender-based violence due its disproportionate impact on women and girls, the horrific practice is not only thriving in Ireland, but is estimated to be taking place in every part of the country in ways including exploitation in the sex trade, labour exploitation, forced begging and other forms. For two years in a row, the Irish Government has been placed on the United States State Department’s international trafficking watch list for failing to effectively curtail the practice in Ireland due to unnecessarily complicated victim identification processes and lack of victim support.
In the area of victim support specifically Ireland has been criticised by anti-trafficking experts and organisations for its inconsistent approach to assisting survivors of trafficking depending on their immigration status – specifically whether they have applied for international protection or not. While state services such as the Women's Health Service and Anti-Human Trafficking Team of the Health Service Executive carry out crucial and impactful work in the support of victims of human trafficking, the overall state approach and level of coordination remains fragmented and is in need of reform to ensure the best outcomes for women abused in such dire circumstances.
The project TRIPS (identification of TRafficked International Protection beneficiaries’ Special needs) is a two year, pan-European project that addresses this issue by researching and documenting the unique special needs of victims of human trafficking who are in the process of applying for international protection. The project also formalises recommendations for optimal integration of survivors of human trafficking into their host society through an expert report and toolkit developed for frontline service providers (e.g. Immigration and border officials, law enforcement, NGOs, etc.) and other public bodies assisting VoT in the international protection process. Specifically, the toolkit helps service providers recognise a possible victim of trafficking and understand what possible referrals exist for the victim in order to escape exploitation and reclaim their independence and livelihood and integrate effectively into their host society.
Through the TRIPS project, in-depth research carried out by the Immigrant Council of Ireland team identified numerous deficiencies in the current Irish state apparatus which identifies and assists victims of human trafficking.
These issues included:
- The aforementioned inconsistency of basic rights for victims provided by national policies and legislation depending on whether they are in the international protection process or not, including family reunification, opening a bank account, and obtaining a driving license;
- Insufficient resourcing of bespoke psychological and counselling support for victims of trafficking;
- Inappropriate housing of traumatised victims of human trafficking in mixed-gender reception accommodations where they are at risk of further trauma and exploitation and inadequate training of accommodation staff in supporting and caring for victims of trafficking;
- Limited access to childcare supports for mothers with dependent children;
- Insufficient access to legal advice and representation and training and education support grants;
- Racism and discrimination experienced in various settings, from accessing housing to seeking employment.
To address these shortcomings, the TRIPS toolkit outlines a number of best practice guidelines to aid service providers in optimally supporting victims of trafficking through every stage of the integration process.
These recommendations include:
- Reforming the State victim identification process to ensure consistent provision of services and supports for all victims of human trafficking whether they are seeking international protection or not;
- Reinforcing and expanding training and capacity building of frontline service providers;
- Ensuring the integration needs of survivors of trafficking are knit into Ireland’s soon-to-be renewed anti-trafficking national action plan through an all-of-Government approach covering relevant areas including employment, health, education, and housing;
- Access for women victims of trafficking to gender-appropriate, accommodation centres;
- Expanding access to free legal support for assistance with family reunification applications for victims;
- Developing pathways to help survivors reclaim their independence through education and retraining.
It is hoped that with ongoing training and effective awareness building among service providers, a consistent approach reflecting the international best practices identified in the TRIPS project will be standardised and implemented across services, facilitating enhanced cooperation between relevant stakeholders and overall better outcomes for survivors.
The TRIPS project is implemented by Forum réfugiés-Cosi, along with Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), Italian Council for Refugees (CIR), Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI), and Organization for Aid to Refugees (OPU)., and is funded by the European Union.
More information
Download TRIPS Ireland Toolbox
