Reforming the Direct Provision system is key to fighting human trafficking, an anti-slavery expert has claimed.
Revamping the current system is crucial if Ireland is to secure prosecutions and bring the criminals who profit from the exploitation of other people to justice, said Kevin Hyland.
As the spiralling costs of Direct Provision were revealed on Sunday, Mr Hyland, the former UK Anti-Slavery Commissioner, slammed Ireland’s current system, saying it does little to support trafficking victims.
At present, people smuggled into Ireland for the purpose of exploitation are placed into Direct Provision centres.
But this system does little to encourage trafficked victims, who are vulnerable and unsure about who they can trust.
My Hyland, who is based in Limerick, told the Irish Mirror: “How can you imagine a young woman who comes from another continent, coming forward in Ireland, having been sexually exploited, being placed into Direct Provision?
“It’s just not in any way fitting with the process that we would have for a rape victim or a domestic violence victim. It’s just not sensible.”
Government agencies and NGOs must work together to provide support to people who are trafficked into Ireland - and prove that these victims can place their trust in the Gardai.
“At the moment, people go into Direct Provision and confidence in the whole system is gone, from the victims point of view,” said Mr Hyland, who works for the Council of Europe and other international organisations to help fight trafficking.
“The system has to reflect what we’re saying it should do and how it should do it. Then we will see a system work, and you will start to see prosecutions.”
Last week, the Department of Justice told the Irish Mirror that the Government was “fully committed” to addressing human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
As part of this, the Second National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking in Ireland was launched in 2016.
The action plan involves a victim-centred and human rights based approach with the aims of preventing human trafficking, ensuring an effective criminal justice response and delivering support to victims, a spokesman for the Justice Department said.
But Mr Hyland says more needs to be done in order to bring perpetrators to justice.
He said: “There needs to be a concerted effort. There needs to be a strategy - not just an action plan or something that’s out of date - but a strategy about how that’s going to be done.
“It needs someone to actually help the Government. You need the HSE, Tusla, the Gardai, the Department of Justice and the DPP involved.
“Once all those come together and start looking at it in a much more joined-up way, the prosecutions will follow.”
The cost of accommodating asylum seekers could exceed €120million this year, The Irish Times has reported, while new centres could cost more than €320million in the coming years.
