Over 30 students hailing from beyond the borders of the EU were deceived by a British job agency into believing they had secure employment in Dublin – only to find themselves at the headquarters of IPAS when they showed up for work, according to information disclosed in the Dáil.
Independent TD Michael McNamara brought to light the instance of an individual “from the Indian subcontinent” who had come to the UK on a valid student visa permitting him to work up to 10 hours per week. Wishing to increase his working hours, the student sought the services of a UK agency that falsely promised him full employment rights in Ireland. The agency arranged his transport by ferry from Liverpool, via Belfast to Dublin, at a cost to him of £1,500 and holding on to his passport — with the intention to extract an additional £1,000 once he commenced work.
The TD from Clare mentioned that the student was currently in the process of trying to free himself from the asylum system and planning to return to the UK, although he doesn’t have his passport.
Mr McNamara noted that the student was undoubtedly unaware that his destination was actually the IP (International Protection) office. This student wasn’t alone, as he was one of five individuals falling into the same trap orchestrated by the same agency that day, and he was aware of an additional 30 people who were deceived into coming to Ireland in the same manner by the same agency.
Mr McNamara voiced his concern about “vulnerable individuals in unstable situations” who were victims of terrible exploitation by unscrupulous elements, while our state was also under the influence of these manipulative parties.
He further added that if one agency in London was involved in people trafficking, likely many other agencies in London were engaged in similar activities.
Taoiseach Simon Harris voiced serious concern about the issue, adding that significant collaborative efforts are underway between the Garda Siochána and UK law enforcement agencies.
Simon Harris also brought up that new legislation addressing the subject of trafficking had been approved in the Dáil and was on its way to the Seanad for further examination. Although substantial work still needs to be done, he highlighted that some advancement has been made in this field.
Meanwhile, Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae pointed out that the influx of migrants was negatively impacting tourism in Killarney due to them occupying about 36 per cent of local hotel accommodation.
He argued that individuals are voicing their objections to the reality of migrants living in hotel accommodations while receiving full social welfare benefits and generally enjoying comfortable living conditions in these hotels. He asked the Taoiseach to shed some light on this occurrence.
In response to this, Mr Harris reminded him of his multiple visits to Kerry and expressed his awareness of the dependency of the tourism and hospitality industry on migrant workers. He voiced certainty that Mr Healy-Rae would recognise the significant role migrants play. He further mentioned that some hotels in Kerry are no longer housing migrants.
The Taoiseach acknowledged the critical challenge posed by the migration issue. However, he asserted his intention to take responsibility for the management of this situation and extend support to Government Ministers, highlighting the fact that the issue affects the entire Government.