Appeal over NI human trafficking

Many women trafficked are forced to work as prostitutes

There has been a call for more resources to help stamp out people trafficking in Northern Ireland.

The call was made by Women's Aid, which gave evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights in Westminster on Monday.

Director Annie Campbell told the committee there was a gang culture in Northern Ireland which was helpful to traffickers.

She said the smuggling "expertise" of paramilitaries and criminals could be utilised by human traffickers.

"The culture, the paramilitary culture if you like, has created the conditions where there's a gang culture that's flourishing," she said.

"The kind of covert operations and secret operations, and the types of trafficking and smuggling that have been going on in Northern Ireland for years - there's a lot expertise - are ripe to transfer to human trafficking."