Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

292. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the action that is being taken by Government to combat the chronic deficiencies in victim identification and referral of human trafficking victims in the Irish fishing sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61368/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Human trafficking is an exploitive crime that preys on the vulnerable. I have been clear that there is no place for it in our society.

We know vulnerable people are trafficked into Ireland for exploitation reasons, including sexual exploitation, forced labour and forced criminality.

The Government is fully committed to working to identify and support victims of this terrible crime.

I strongly refute the unfounded allegations of widespread human trafficking in the fishing industry. All allegations of human trafficking in Ireland are fully investigated by An Garda Síochána and files are submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions where An Garda Síochána considers it appropriate to do so. 

As the Deputy will know, the DPP is independent of Government and indeed of An Garda Síochána and decisions made by the DPP regarding prosecutions are made on the basis of evidence. 

Human trafficking is a particularly heinous crime, but it does not serve victims to conflate other abuses in the labour market, for example; non-payment or late-payment of wages; paying below the minimum wage; poor health and safety and working conditions with human trafficking

The General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2022, published in July, will put a revised National Referral Mechanism (NRM) on a statutory footing, making it easier for victims of trafficking to come forward, be identified, and access support.

In addition to An Garda Síochána, it is being proposed that a number of agencies will become competent authorities for the identification of victims of human trafficking. These include the Workplace Relations Commission, as well as the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Justice Immigration Services, the HSE, Tusla and International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS). Some NGOs will also be designated as ‘trusted partners’ and be allowed make referrals to the competent authorities. This will provide an alternative and trusted pathway to recognition by a competent authority.

A review of the Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) for non-EEA fishers was recently carried out by officials from my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

As part of its work, the Review Group consulted with various stakeholders involved in the Scheme.  Among the submissions received, there was substantial support for a transition of immigration and work permission for this cohort from the Atypical Working Scheme to the Employment Permit system including the opening up of a pathway as a result of such a transition for fishers to eventually receive Stamp 4 permission.

On the above basis, the key recommendation of the report, was for such a transition to take place. This Report was presented to government by Minister McEntee in October 2022 and the recommendations made therein were approved.

Steps have been taken to implement the transfer of permissions to the Employment Permit system including the closure of AWS to new applications on 31 December 2022.

Separately, the General Scheme for the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants closed on 31 July 2022. This once in a generation scheme was designed to give long-term undocumented people without a current permission to remain in the State, the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market and begin their path to citizenship.