An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 21 There are no specific models to follow with these gangs. For example, in Vietnam or Albania the exploitation is very ad hoc, while Nigerian gangs are much more organised. Women are usu- ally smuggled through airports, where they are trained to exploit loopholes in a country's immigration system. These women, who have been promised proper work and accommodation, are usually found later working in nail bars or the sex industry. Pablo Rojas Coppari, of the Migrant Rights Centre, Ireland (MRCI), explained that 80% are non-EU migrants and that more men are trafficked than women, and are generally exploited for labour. Even people who have the right to live and work in a country are exploited, living in bad conditions and being paid little or nothing for their work. The MRCI raises awareness on these issues in Ireland through its actions and campaigns. Helped by the police, it assists victims and investigates claims of forced labour, involving people being forced to work long and arduous hours in restaurants, domestic work or in the agricultural sector. The MRCI also assists victims in getting compensation through the Labour Court. Mr Coppari said that although there are a diverse range of ser- vices to assist victims of slavery, they need to be improved and he highlighted the lack of certain types of support for victims, such as safe houses and specialist medical facilities. Often, the experi- ences these people suffer leave them financially and psychologi- cally scarred. District Inspector Molloy, of An Garda Síochána, an officer with many years of experience in this field, gave many examples of this international crime. He says that 300 to 400 people are trafficked to and exploited in Ireland every year and that illegal immigrants are the most vulnerable. There is huge money to be made by the traffickers and those exploiting the victims of trafficking. As a re- sult the police have made great strides in smashing these criminal networks and bringing those responsible to justice by following the money. The final speaker on the evening was Kathryne Bomberger, direct general of the International Commission on Missing Persons, which highlights people who have gone missing due to criminal activity. Ms Bomberger spoke about how important it was to put a face to those who are missing and to see them as people, not merely numbers or statistics as we often do. She says there is no specific legislation on missing persons and the issue is vast. Around the world today there are millions of reported cases of missing persons due to armed conflict and human rights abuses, and the problem of missing and disappeared persons has intensified in the course of the last two de- cades. Failure by governments to account for large numbers of persons who go missing for involuntary reasons is a fundamental abrogation of the rule of law, according to Ms Bomberger, and state responsibility and action are essential, both domestically and internationally. While some of the details and stories given by the speakers were harrowing, to say the least, one positive aspect emerged from the talks; many groups are working together to assist victims of trafficking, and the excellent relationships between the various organisations and the police are getting results. However, the struggle continues. www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 21

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