Human Trafficking

What is Human Trafficking?

Trafficking in human beings is a form of modern day slavery. In simple terms it involves:
(a) the threat of or use of fear, fraud, force, deception, threats, coercion, abduction for the purposes of abuse or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits
(b) the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
for the purpose of exploiting a person for labour, sexual exploitation or removal of organ purposes.

When children are trafficked, no violence, deception or coercion needs to be involved: simply transporting them into exploitative conditions constitutes trafficking.

Trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon. Victims are trafficked into a range of hazardous labour, including farm work, sweatshops, domestic servitude, forced prostitution and subjected to sexual abuse and other forms of violence.

Human Trafficking is a Crime.

Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act, 2008

The Government enacted the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act, 2008 which is effective since 7th June, 2008.  It contains measures to criminalise trafficking in adults or children (under 18 years of age) for the purposes of labour, sexual exploitation or the removal of organs.  The Act makes it an offence to sell or offer for sale or to purchase or offer to purchase any person for any purpose.  Penalties of up to life imprisonment apply in respect of these offences.  It is also an offence to solicit for prostitution a person who s/he knows or has reasonable grounds for believing is a trafficked person.  The penalty can be up to 5 years imprisonment.

The Irish Government Response

An Awareness Raising Campaign was launched on 21st October, 2008 to raise awareness to the problem of human trafficking among the public, law enforcement and professional personnel.  The key theme of the campaign is ‘Don’t Close your Eyes to Human Trafficking’ and the blue blindfold represents the risk of people having their eyes closed and being unaware of the crime that may be going on around them.  Further information on the indicators of human trafficking and the campaign is available by visiting www.blueblindfold.gov.ie.

A dedicated unit to ensure that the State’s response to trafficking in human beings is co-ordinated, comprehensive and holistic has been set up in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.  Should you want further information you can contact the Unit on 01-6028659 or email the unit at ahtu@justice.ie.

How Would you Recognise Trafficking?

Please click here for further information about the indicators of human trafficking

What Can you Do?

If you have concerns or information about human trafficking, you can call the telephone hot-line for the confidential reporting of suspicions of trafficking at 1800 25 00 25 from 9a.m. to 9p.m.


Alternatively, you can email your concerns or information to blueblindfold@garda.ie.