UAE | Employment
Dahi: Tough law will help fight all other forms of trafficking
A tough anti-human trafficking law will help the UAE authorities fight all forms of this crime, said Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief.
- By Samir Salama, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:00 November 11, 2006
-
Nurse terminated after renewing job
Nurse terminated after renewing her contract
-
President issues law to tackle human trafficking
President issues law to tackle human trafficking
-
Specialised labour court to be set up
DCD to set up specialised labour court to handle disputes
-
New contracts 'will protect rights of maids'
New contracts 'will protect rights of maids'
-
Labourers seek court-appointed lawyers
Labourers seek court-appointed lawyers to defend their cases
-
80 labourers say wages less than in contract
80 labourers say wages less than in contract
-
Companies and workers welcome new directives
Companies and workers welcome new directives
-
Rights activists hail positive steps
Rights activists hail positive steps
Abu Dhabi: A tough anti-human trafficking law will help the UAE authorities fight all forms of this crime, said Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief.
The law will deter organnised international gangs who attempt to harm this country, he told Gulf News on Friday. "It will bridge the gap in the UAE's legislations, which may have been exploited by these gangs."
Lieutenant General Dahi said the UAE has succeeded in stopping the practice of employing children as camel jockeys and with the help of this law it will effectively combat other forms of human trafficking.
President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a Federal Law on Combating Crimes of Human Trafficking, slapping stiff penalties against traffickers ranging from one year to life in prison and fines from Dh20,000 up to Dh1 million.
"The law criminalises severe forms of servitude, which will address trafficking in domestic servants in the UAE," said Dr Ushari Khalil, a former UN official and trainer on combating trafficking.
He warned that thousands of people in the country could be traffickers without them knowing it. "They are not aware that the way they treat their domestic servants such as denying them communication with others, toying with their salaries, as well as the illegal tricks employed by labour companies constitute servitude."
"Thousands of such persons should know today that they risk life imprisonment, particularly because almost all domestic servants are females," Dr Khalil said.
A life-imprisonment term is to be handed down to anyone implicated in human trafficking if the victim is a female, a child or handicapped, according to the law.
The law incriminates all forms of exploitation of humans and organised groups that intentionally commit these crimes. It incriminates organised groups that, through pre-meditation, commit these crimes, with the option of life imprisonment if the victim is a female, a child, handicapped or if the crime is perpetrated by those in a position of trust, such as relatives or public officials.
Dr Khalil said the passage of this law and treating victims of human trafficking in accordance with international standards should serve to remove the UAE from the American Tier Two 'Watch List' country.
The Sixth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report upgraded the UAE to a Tier Two 'Watch List' country, or a country that is vulnerable to losing ground on its human rights record.
Dr Mohammad Abdullah Al Rokn, a professor of law at the UAE University and a human rights activist, said the law is in keeping with the UAE's constitution and international conventions signed by the country.
Many human traffickers are never caught because their victims are too scared to go to authorities, he said.
"The law will encourage victims to report their tormentors to the authorities, which will also help rehabilitate these victims."
Share this article
Related Articles
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Festival expected to galvanise UAE's Pakistani community
- Free SMS offer for paid parking in Dubai
- UAE visitor admits to possessing fake notes
- Men get bail in Dubai due to lack of translator
- Security trial in UAE adjourned until December
- Colombia seeks stronger ties with UAE
- Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides glimpse of Indian culture
- Conference on combatting crime through sports begins
- Duo develop low energy desalting process
- Passer-by foils Dh2.5m robbery bid in Dubai
- Sharjah book fair to focus on innovative publishers
- UAE official urges corporate support for diabetes control initiatives
- Brothers deny vandalising plaintiff's car
- Over 6,000 Haj pilgrims to get vaccines
- Abu Dhabi residential city on track
Community Reports
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
-
Community report: Doing their bit for poor children
A group of students takes concrete action to raise funds for Dubai Cares
