Irish border control officers powerless to rescue children from traffickers
The Department of Justice has admitted its border control officers are effectively powerless to rescue children arriving here in the company of unscrupulous human traffickers, Extra.ie can reveal.
The department has also stated that instead of separating vulnerable youngsters from criminal trafficking gangs, immigration officials can only pass on their suspicions to gardaí.
But by then, the country’s leading human rights authority says, many of these children are beyond the reach of the authorities who could have saved them from a life of misery.
The spokesman also admitted that there are no statistics on how many children have been referred to Tusla or the gardaí.
Woman victim. harassment, depression, drug addiction, human trafficking. PTSD post-traumatic stress
When asked about what action its border control officers can take to protect children travelling in the company of suspected human traffickers, the Department of Justice admitted its staff can only ask questions.
A spokesman explained: ‘Where an immigration officer of the Border Management Unit (BMU) has concerns in relation to the welfare of any child arriving into the State, the member of the staff can refer such cases to An Garda Síochána and Tusla where required. No minor will be detained.
‘An immigration officer is obliged to consider all the circumstances of those who arrive into the State, including minors, and as such may make enquiries with the minor in the course of their duties.
‘They may speak to the minor separately during the initial interaction upon arrival into the State, for example, to establish identity and the relationship between the adult and minor travelling.’
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The spokesman added: ‘If there continues to be concerns regarding the welfare of the minor during the interaction, the case will be referred to An Garda Síochána and Tusla for further investigation.’
These revelations come as Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan prepares to bring proposals before the Cabinet this week to make it tougher for people to get asylum here.
Meanwhile, according to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), the Government has failed to properly introduce new measures that could help trafficking victims.
The commission is the national rapporteur on human trafficking and, as a result, is responsible for advising the Government on how best to deal with people-smugglers.
But last night the IHREC revealed that a series of EU-backed new guidelines – to strengthen and improve how the authorities identify possible trafficking victims – have yet to be implemented here.
A spokeswoman for the IHREC explained: ‘The commission has highlighted that Ireland continues to struggle with identification and support of victims of trafficking, in particular with the identification, support and protection of child victims of trafficking.
‘While the new National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for identification, protection and support of victims of trafficking is one of the most significant developments in the last number of years, it is not yet operational.
‘The commission calls for the new NRM and its accompanying operational guidelines to be swiftly developed and finalised in a clear, comprehensive, consultative, and rights-based manner.’
The spokeswoman continued: ‘We have a number of concerns regarding the potential impact of the domestic implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on victims of trafficking. The potential application of accelerated procedures to victims of trafficking and a screening procedure over a very truncated timeline are particularly concerning.’
The Department of Justice spokesman said that there is already a National Referral Mechanism in place and that preparatory work is being carried out on how the revised NRM will operate, including alignment with reforms introduced under the EU Migration & Asylum Pact.
‘This requires significant engagement with key stakeholders and is ongoing,’ the spokesman said.
The new International Protection Bill to give effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact was approved by Government on 29 April 2025.
‘The drafting of the Bill is well advanced,’ the spokesman said and is expected that the Bill will be published by the end of the year. It is required by the EU to be law by June 11, 2026.
The main benefit of the revised NRM, said the Justice spokesman, is the introduction of additional entry points where by child victims of human trafficking may be identified earlier and access appropriate care and support. It does not give Border Management Unit new powers.
