Ireland has the dubious distinction of emerging as a popular destination for parental child abductors all over.

The number of parental child abduction cases there has risen dramatically in recent years.

Despite entering the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which requires return of children to their place of “habitual residence“, Ireland often doesn’t.

For example, last year, the Irish high court ordered return in only about half of the cases before it.

While 2,000 kids were involved in Hague Convention cases in the last 15 years, last year alone the figure was 160.

Statistics show that twice as many children are abducted into Ireland as out of Ireland.

Read more in this Irish Independent article: Ireland a haven for love-tug abductors.