Sex trade victims 'should be allowed stay in EU states'

11/07/2006 - 07:56:46
An Irish MEP is calling for victims of human trafficking to be granted temporary residence visas by EU member states.

Fine Gael's Simon Coveney says the women are often worried about reprisals if they are deported to their home countries.

Mr Coveney told a sub-committee of the European Parliament yesterday that these women should be treated as victims, not criminals, as long as they co-operate with the police and the authorities.

He also slammed Ireland's attitude towards human trafficking, claiming the Government had failed to ratify international conventions on the matter and had not even drafted a legal definition of the crime yet.