Open letter urges Government to take heed of Amnesty sex work research

The letter, published in today’s edition of The Irish Times, is signed by representatives of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland, HIV Ireland, the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland and eight others.

It said that Amnesty’s research in Argentina, Hong Kong, Norway and Papua New Guinea exposed “the dangers in criminalising sex work”.

In the last Dáil session, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald proposed legislation that would have made it an offence to purchase sex, which TDs failed to approve before the election.

However, the letter states that “all evidence shows that sex workers are far more vulnerable to abuse, violence and increased risk of HIV/Aids” under a model where the purchase of sex is criminalised.

It continues: “The UNAIDS Advisory Group on HIV and Sex Work advises states to move away from criminalising sex work. The World Health Organisation, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health,Human Rights Watch, the Global Alliance Against the Traffic of Women, Amnesty International and the Global Network of Sex Work Projects reiterate this call.

“Failure to listen and consider this mounting independent evidence will undoubtedly put the human rights of sex workers in Ireland at risk. We urge the Government to ensure this expert evidence informs laws and policy on sex work in Ireland today.”