GCC coalition needed to combat human trafficking

Stronger cooperation in the region will help track and prosecute traffickers, officials said at a training workshop that opened in Dubai on Tuesday.

DUBAI // Gulf states were urged on Tuesday to form a coalition to track, investigate and prosecute human traffickers.

“The most important thing is more cooperation between all countries and especially in the GCC,” said Maj Mansoor Al Shamsi, head of the Dubai Police anti-human trafficking and crimes unit.

“There are already laws and regulations but there is not enough cooperation globally so this is needed internationally and in the Arab world.”

He was speaking at training workshop attended by about 40 judges, prosecutors, enforcement officials and labour inspectors organised by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children.

The workshop aims to build knowledge among officials so they can help trafficking victims to understand their rights to protection. Officials stressed the need for closer ties to standardise mechanisms to compensate victims and effectively deal with trafficking networks.

Since traffickers and victims often originate from the same country it is additionally difficult for UAE authorities to pursue the crimes.

“Many victims are from Eastern Europe and East Asian countries and there is a need for more cooperation and coordination with these and other countries,” Maj Al Shamsi said.

“What is different now compared to before is that officers are more trained to spot human trafficking cases,” Maj Al Shamsi said.

Contributing to a draft manual with details on the laws to protect victims and creating a regional database to boost cooperation are among the objectives of the workshop, which ends on Thursday.

“By building capacity we will learn about other country’s experiences,” said Afra Al Basti, director general of the DFWAC.

“Our efforts will never stop because you’re facing this mafia and this mafia is every day finding a way, they are using the internet and using different resources. Whenever law enforcement puts their hand on them they change.”

The UAE’s tough anti-trafficking laws have worked to reduce cases, authorities said.

Under a 2006 federal law, traffickers face from 10 years to the maximum penalty of life imprisonment if the crime is committed through deceit, the use of force, threat of murder or bodily harm, or involves physical or psychological torture.

“The main purpose is to build cooperation and coalition between different parties especially in the GCC and we’re also looking for a referral mechanism that can help all these countries combat human trafficking,” said Ms Al Basti.

“The GCC must have a mechanism to unify rules, regulations, training. Community awareness is most important when people understand what human trafficking actually is and how these vulnerable girls or women provide sex services to others. They will understand this is not a normal life and they are being pushed to get money out of it. Training for police staff is also important so they understand the sensitivity of human trafficking cases.”

The foundation recently announced a 75 per cent decline in the number of victims in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.

Eighteen foreign victims were sheltered by the DFWAC until August this year. Three victims, aged 21 to 26, who were abused sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally were referred by the Dubai Police in the first half of the year. They had been promised jobs in beauty salons and as baby sitters.

“The UAE is a country that is serious about dealing with this issue and we are sure of long-lasting cooperation,” said Obaid Ahmed Obaid, director of the United Nations Centre for training and documentation in human rights.

“The aim of this training is to zoom into victims’ rights mainly to have effective recourse to internal justice, compensation and coherent international cooperation to address some issues.”

The biggest challenge the UN faced was the low numbers prosecuted, he said.

“We have too many victims and we hardly have any culpable persons or persons that have been held responsible which makes situation a lot more precarious. That’s why we think we need to develop more capacity to develop skills to deal with this demanding human tragedy.”