UAE | Crime
Centre on course to tackle human trafficking
Newly-established facility at Dubai Police also addresses workers' complaints
- By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 October 11, 2009
- Image Credit: Supplied Pictures
- Colonel Dr Mohammad Al Mur and Major Dr Sultan Al Jamal.
Dubai: A recently established centre to monitor human trafficking at Dubai Police has managed to put into effect its agenda for this year to tackle the many faces of human trafficking, such as the sex trade industry, while at the same time responding to labour violations.
The centre has managed to retrieve over Dh15 million from companies as unpaid wages for labourers.
Colonel Dr Mohammad Abdullah Al Murr, Director-General of the General Department of Legal and Disciplinary Control, said the newly established centre will be a monitoring division in Dubai that will implement field studies, training, and participate globally to combat traffickers and provide all necessary services for victims.
The new division falls under the general department of legal and disciplinary control that has five additional divisions such as a section dealing with officials' complaints over unjust rulings and offers humanitarian assistance for staff members.
The second division is the first of its kind in Dubai and will look into "performance monitoring or control".
Monitor police
It will monitor and control police officers who commit any violations or take advantage of their positions. These complaints either come from the public or within the police headquarters and centres.
The three remaining divisions will deal with legal affairs and monitor and revise laws and regulations within the police headquarters, quality management and administrative affairs, Colonel Dr Al Murr said.
In 2000, a department to combat human trafficking was established in Dubai Police and a section in the previous human rights department for victims of the human trafficking was established in 2007.
In February of this year the centre for monitoring human trafficking was established which offers a holistic perspective regarding human trafficking.
The new division on monitoring human trafficking is headed by Major Dr Sultan Al Jamal who said that since February the department has responded to 344 complaints from labourers calling on the department's hotline service number.
The centre is equipped with all necessary human resources and tools to carry out research, with multilingual staff, fluent in languages such as Russian, Chinese, Urdu and Arabic.
Their duties include studying and revising human trafficking legislation with a view to enhancing and securing necessary protection in accordance with international standards.
They also include coordinating among the government authorities concerned with the issue of human trafficking such as ministries, departments, corporations and organisations, and offer training and workshops.
They also promote public awareness on matters related to human trafficking through conferences, seminars, and brochures.
According to Major Dr Al Jamal, out of the 344 labour complaints; 263 were for delays in salary payment; two for repressive measures, 47 for cancelling residencies and three for transferring sponsorship. Some 21 labourers complained about bad treatment at work; and another eight regarded various other issues.
Inspected
The nationalities who made the complaints were predominantly Asians and Arabs with few Africans and Europeans filing complaints.
Around 1,109 labour accommodation sites were inspected by the department, of which 277 were re-inspected for falling short of the basic regulations. Based on the department's statistics, 545 companies were compliant and 287 were violating standards.
Major Dr Al Jamal said that 69 protests happened in 2009, of which 40 were due to a delay in salary payment, 20 demanded better services, and nine requested a raise in pay.
The department dealt with 189 unemployed labourers gathered in the Al Muhaisnah 2 area who were laid off from their jobs by finalising their legal and financial settlements in the country in coordination with other sectors.
According to Colonel Dr Al Murr, the only cases of human trafficking in Dubai are the exploitation of women into prostitution and there were two cases of selling babies that happened last year.
We don't have any cases of forced labour, he said, referring to the State Trafficking in Persons report for June 2009 which stated that there were no ‘discernable anti-trafficking efforts' against the forced labour of temporary migrant workers and domestic servants in the UAE.
Salary payment
"The report was based on unreliable information," Colonel Dr Al Murr said.
The only labour-related violation was a delay in salary payment which was addressed and resolved immediately by the concerned sector, he said.
"We don't underestimate workers' rights at all. Companies must pay their workers on time and if they fail we directly report them to court. We do provide companies a week if they can afford to settle the matter which is provided for the benefit of the worker as to not delay their salaries further," he said.
Dubai Police's Department for Combating Human Trafficking in coordination with the Human Trafficking Crimes Monitoring Centre is currently working on a scientific study about human trafficking in Dubai.
The two departments aim to combat the crime and make people aware of the ills of human trafficking.
In March this year, the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT) had officially launched its website: www.nccht.gov.ae , to enhance awareness about human trafficking.
Action
Worker welfare: 344
Labour complaints received by the centre: 69
Number of labour protests witnessed in 2009: 277
The human trafficking crimes monitor centre at Dubai Police received 344 labour complaints:
Delay in salary payment: 263 complaints
Repressive measures taken against a labourer: 2
Cancelling residency: 47
Transferring of sponsorship: 3
Bad treatment at work: 21
Others: 8
The department retrieved more than Dh 15 million from companies as unpaid wages for labourers.
832 labour accommodations were inspected by the department: 545 companies were compliant while 287 were violating.
Control over another
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.
UAE definition: According to the UAE's Federal Law 51 of 2006 on Combating Human Trafficking Crimes, human trafficking is: recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring, or receiving persons by means of threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of position, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person, or, the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation.
Exploitation includes all forms of sexual exploitation, engaging others in prostitution, servitude, forced labour, enslavement, quasi-slavery practices, or detachment of organs.
Companies face Dh1m fine
The federal law issued in 2006 stipulates imprisonment and fines for individuals or organisations involved in the crime. According to the law, corporate bodies will be liable to a fine ranging from between Dh100,000 and Dh1 million if their representatives, managers, or agents are convicted of a human trafficking crime.
The UAE National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons was created in April 2007 as the coordinating body for anti-trafficking efforts at all levels in the seven emirates of the federation.
The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children specialises in dealing with the health and psychological trauma of the victims. Meanwhile, there is close coordination with governmental or non-governmental institutions in their home countries to ensure they are safe upon returning to their home countries so as to see to it that they don't get involved in a similar incident, said Captain Ahmad Obaid Bin Hadibah, Head of Dubai Police's Department of Combating Human Trafficking.
The toll free number for complaints is 8005005 or 8004040.
Issues
The human trafficking crimes monitoring centre at Dubai Police also receives complaints from labourers.
Grievances
Repressive measures taken against a labourer: 2
Cancelling residency: 47
Transferral of sponsorship: 3
Bad treatment at work: 21
Others: 8
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