The 100 foreign women known to have been trafficked into the sex industry in Ireland is merely "the tip of the iceberg", a group working with prostitutes said today.
Ruhama, a charity providing outreach services to women working in the sex industry in Dublin, said it had made contact with 100 women who came to Ireland to work, but found themselves trafficked as "sex slaves".
The organisation today opened a campaign to highlight the issue and will sell a symbolic 'freedom key' keyring to raise funds.
Geradine Rowley of Ruhama
"Our aim is to unlock the sex slavery that's happening in the country today," said Gerardine Rowley of Ruhama.
"This year marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and incredibly we still have millions of women from poorer countries enslaved in the sex trade of wealthier countries.
"Little is being done to highlight this issue and unravel the massive injustice which is all around us," she said.
The charity believes hundreds of women are being duped in to coming here from countries such as Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Venezuela, Brazil, and Nigeria.
But it believes that without demand, these women would not become victims of trafficking.
"We've spoken to more than 100 women who came here to work, but were trafficked as a sex slave," continued Ms Rowley.
"But that figure is the tip of the iceberg. Women are now working indoors in flats and apartment complexes and it is very difficult for them to come forward. They do not know where to go for help."
"Those who are here illegally are also afraid to come forward in case they are prosecuted. These women are taking risks to leave a poor country and travel with what they think is a trusting person."
Ruhama's main priority is to lobby the Government for new legislation to target traffickers and protect the victims.
"There is no deterrent out there for the traffickers," added Ms Rowley.
"It is a low risk high profit crime with no legislation. We are the only country in the EU without trafficking legislation and the Bill that was produced totally excluded the victims of trafficking.
"Any new law must support the women, otherwise they will be deported and will end up being trafficked again."
Additional reporting: PA