13 September 2023, a report by the Human Rights and Equality Commission of Ireland (IHREC) on recommendations to the government for improving its methods for supporting victims of human trafficking was released. The report revealed that from 2013 to 2022, 55% of victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation, 38% were trafficked for labor exploitation, and for the first time, suspected trafficking for organ removal was recorded.

Shortly after the first conviction for the offence, reports of more cases on organ trafficking in the UK are being investigated. The Journal reports that this first recording of organ removal in Ireland represents a larger trend at play in the whole of the EU: novel forms of exploitation are picking up.

Even though organ trafficking is not a new type of human trafficking, it does not get the same kind of attention as other forms of human trafficking in Ireland or the rest of Europe. This is not to say that other forms of human trafficking are rare, but rather not enough attention is being paid to lesser-known forms.

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