There was a 35% rise in the number of victims of human trafficking that engaged with Ruhama last year.
The charity - which supports those impacted by prostitution, sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation - supported 216 victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in 2024.
The number of those impacted by prostitution was 282, which was a rise of 20% on 2023 figures. 630 who were at risk of exploitation attended "outreach and inreach" clinics.
Last year, service users who engaged with Ruhama represented 51 nationalities across the globe.
Those who were victims of human trafficking were mainly from Nigeria (131), followed by Zimbabwe (18), and South Africa (14).
The majority of those who engaged with Ruhama impacted by prostitution were also from Nigeria (43) and Zimbabwe (42).
Irish people were the third most represented nationality (31), followed by Somalia (28) and Brazil (23).
The vast majority of service users were women (including six trans women last year) and 55 men engaged with services.
Considering the number of women who sought support from the charity, Ruhama has pointed to "the very gendered nature of the system of prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation".
Overall, Ruhama saw a 75% increase in engagement with service users, compared to 2023.
This included training frontline workers about the sex trade and how to effectively respond to vulnerable women and girls in their work.
The recently published 2025 Trafficking in Persons report ('TIP') highlighted persistent failings by the Irish State to ‘fully meet the minimum standards’, when it comes to human trafficking.
Ireland remains at Tier 2, which means that the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.
It noted a lack of convictions for labour trafficking, serious gaps in victim referral, assistance and identification, including regarding children and Irish nationals, and the continued failure to implement the new National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
The NRM involves State and non-governmental organisations working together to identify victims of human trafficking and ensures that they get support.
Ireland’s National Rapporteur on Trafficking of Human Beings - the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission - said that Ireland needed "a concerted focus" on the elimination of human trafficking in the next year, and to proactively deliver for trafficking victims and survivors.
