Dáil told man seeking work in Ireland was directed to IPO

Independent TD Michael McNamara has raised the case in the Dáil of a young man from the Indian subcontinent who travelled to the United Kingdom on a valid student visa issued by the UK Government.

That visa allowed him to work for only ten hours a week.

The man wanted to work more, and he went to an agency in the UK which told him it could get him full employment permission in Ireland and arrange travel along with a work permit.

The agent took £1,500 sterling from him and retained his passport, in order that he would pay an additional £1,000 when he started to work.

It arranged his travel to Liverpool and from there a ferry to Belfast. He travelled from there to Dublin. He was given the Eircode and postal address of his employer. He turned up there to find it was the International Protection Office in Dublin.

Mr McNamara told the Dáil: “He obviously did not know that he was being sent to the IPO. He was one of five travelling in a similar way organised by the same agents on the same day. He knows of 30 more people sent to Ireland by that agency in the same way.”

“He is now in Ireland. He is trying to get out of the asylum system and return to the United Kingdom. He does not have his passport,” Mr McNamara added.

The TD for Clare said it is clear that vulnerable people in a precarious position are being horribly exploited by bad actors.

“However, it is equally clear that our State is being exploited by those bad actors. While the Punch and Judy show the Government is engaging in with the UK authorities is all well and good, I want to know what the Taoiseach can do and what hope there is of international co-operation to resolve this.

“If I know anything of the underworld in which these agents, these people traffickers – let us call them what they are – operate, it is that if there is one agency doing it in London, there are many doing it in London,” he said.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said the case was a very serious matter and the Human Trafficking Bill, currently making its way though the Oireachtas, would make it easier for victims of trafficking to come forward and to access supports.