Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin highlight the work done by church initiatives such as Talitha Kum and the Santa Marta Group in fighting this global scourge.

“I believe prevention is needed in destination, transit and source nations. This is where healthcare has a major role to play.”

Organised by the Santa Marta Group (preventing human trafficking and modern slavery), the conference has as its theme ‘Church and state working together to restore dignity to trafficked persons’.

There are cases of seafarers and fishermen being effectively imprisoned on their ships, not paid wages and held in a modern-day form of press-ganging and slavery, says Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.

Always remember the victim at the centre of this evil crime; the enslaved person who demands our action in combating trafficking - Cardinal Nichols

“Last year we provided vital support to 92 women who were victims of sex trafficking - helping them to rebuild their lives and their sense of selves,” - Ruhama

Annual profits generated from trafficking in humans are as high as $32 billion (€29.1 billion) as 2.4 million people are trafficked globally.

Group's efforts to free the victims of new forms of slavery, rehabilitate them, and unmask the traffickers and those who create this market praised.

Archbishop tells members of Oireachtas and Diplomatic Corps that hidden in Irish society is a serious problem of people who are the victims of trafficking.