Tusla data shows 19 refugee children have reportedly gone missing from the care of the State within the first six months of 2023.
This is the highest level recorded in three years.
According to data from the child and family agency, 11 of these children have gone missing in the past month.
In 2023 so far, there have been 19 cases where a child who is seeking international protection has gone missing.
Tusla has admitted that only seven of these children have returned or been accounted for.
There are now 12 children still unaccounted for within the first six months of this year. This is a 300% increase from 2022 where there were three children missing by the end of the year.
Since 2017, 81 refugee children went missing and only 57 of those have returned or been accounted for – with 24 still missing.
Tusla responded to a parliamentary question from Independent TD Denis Naughten regarding these figures, saying it “hares the State’s and wider public’s concerns about the increased risk of child and human trafficking, particularly in the context of increased people movement globally.”
Interim Tusla CEO, Kate Duggan, warned that the agency is now facing “unprecedented challenges” due to the increased number of children seeking international protection.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Children said there is “an unprecedented level of pressure on State services” as Ireland is accommodating for over 91,295 people fleeing international conflict and the war in Ukraine.
The spokeswoman said there is “a real risk of trafficking and exploitation for those young people whose whereabouts remain unknown.”
She added: “Tusla is increasingly being notified of young people, known to its service and going missing, coming to the attention of services in Northern Ireland.
“Tusla is now meeting regularly with Northern Ireland child protection services to look at how best to manage this emerging situation as it appears that Ireland may be used increasingly as a transit country to the UK.”
