A year long investigation by The Guardian into the Irish Prawn and Whitefish sector has revealed that undocumented Ghanaian, Filipino, Egyptian and Indian fishermen are manning boats in ports from Cork to Galway.
The workers have shared details about the abuse and unfair conditions that they face.
They have spoken about their confinement to vessels on ships with one worker describing the ship as his place of work and home. He stated that he was unable to travel to land unless given permission by the skipper.
The workers have also talked about extreme sleep deprivation, having to work for days or nights on end with only a few hours’ sleep, and with no proper rest days.
Some migrant workers claim to have been deceived and appear to have been trafficked on to trawlers for labour exploitation.
Evidence gathered by The Guardian suggests that crewing agencies are smuggling African and Filipino workers in to Ireland through entry points at London Heathrow and Belfast airports. They then bypass Irish immigration services by crossing into The Republic by land.
The practice is facilitated by the exploitation of a loophole designed for international merchant shipping. The loophole allows non-EU sea workers to transit through the UK for 48 hours on transit visa if they immediately need to join vessels working on international waters.
