Eight refugees who died after being smuggled into the State inside a freight container were "victims and not criminals" in the horrifying human trafficking trade, a human rights executive said today.
Mr Kari Tapiola of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said: "These deaths are extremely tragic but unfortunately this is not the first time. This is the reality of trafficking".
Mr Tapiola, attending a United Nations and ILO Human Rights Conference on people trafficking in London, urged the international community to help tackle the scourge.
"Stronger laws to deal with the problem and its effects are needed as a deterrent at home. This should work alongside in-depth analysis abroad about who the masterminds are and how they operate.
"We are trying to find ways to get these people to stop but that will be a challenge for a number of countries," he said.
Speaking of the refugees he said: "We need to look at where these people come from, how they come into this network, why they are willing to take such risks and also at the countries where they arrive.
"Hopefully we will not see a situation again where these people lose their lives. These people are the victims of a practice of a recognised labour trade".
The refugees, believed to be from Turkey and Algeria, were "desperate people who felt they had no choice," Mr Tapiola said.