Tóibín: Government not even trying to find out how many migrants are being trafficked into Ireland

Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín has today called on the government to take seriously the threat to life that exists in the trafficking of migrants into Ireland.

“A humanitarian disaster was narrowly averted when two children and 12 adult migrants managed to cut a hole in the refrigerated container and alerted Gardaí that they were trapped,” Deputy Tóibín said.

“Thank God that these lives were saved.

“Recent history is littered with heart breaking tragedies where large numbers of migrants were not so lucky.

“The Irish Government is extremely lax.”

Deputy Tóibín also accused the government of not ensuring their International Protection system is robust following an answer to a parliamentary question given to him by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee which stated that 76% of people who migrated to Ireland last year did not register their asylum application at a port or an airport.

“Up until September last year 6,821 migrants registered at the International Protection Office, while only 2,056 migrants registered their application for asylum at airports or ports,” Deputy Tóibín said.

“When I asked the Minister what route had the IPO Office applicants taken, she stated, “”Information on how a person enters the country when not through a designated port, including by travelling over the land border, is not recorded’”.

“This is incredible.

“The Minister does not know how the vast majority of migrants are now coming to Ireland because the Minister’s policy is, not to ask the vast majority of people how they are coming to Ireland.

“How can any administration manage this situation if they don’t know what’s happening”.

“I understand that the only way that migrants can come to Ireland without officially coming through an airport or a port is from Britain via the North of Ireland or as a result of an expired working or holiday visa or being trafficked.

“The government is incredibly lax. The government could change the law and direct that all migrants register their applications at their point of entry.

“Ireland is on a United States government watchlist country in terms of human trafficking.

“According to the US State Department analysis Ireland is a ‘Tier 2 country’ in terms of human trafficking.

“The State Depatyment states“ the Government of Ireland does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking”.

“Indeed a answer to another Aontú Parliamentary Question to Aontú has shown that just three people have been convicted in the district courts for human trafficking in the past 10 years, despite more than 1,000 cases coming before them. I have never seen a worse conviction rate in any other area of serious crime.

“The government are not taking it seriously.

“Indeed we know that dozens of unaccompanied minors are going missing from state services every year and where the government is providing accommodation for minors, much of it is in unregulated special accommodation without properly vetted staff.

“From the border to the child protection services this government’s management of the situation is a mess,” Deputy Tóibín concluded.