Ireland drafts new anti-trafficking laws, but does not sign convention.

According to the Irish newspaper Sunday Business Post, Irish Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell is drafting new legislation to combat the trafficking of “foreign nationals” for exploitation by forced labour and prostitution. Although it is claimed that this legislation will “take into account” the new Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, Ireland has not signed the convention yet. It is also disappointing that the new legislation seems to be focused only on foreign nationals, when trafficking can also involve a country’s own citizens, a fact included in the recent convention. It is good news that there may be an eight year sentence for human trafficking, but there does seem to be significant confusion in the reports between human trafficking, which always ends in slavery, and illegal immigration. The Irish government would do better signing and ratifying the Council of Europe convention and applying it in full. For the full article, please click here. For a summary of the council of Europe treaty, click here.