UAE vows transparency on human trafficking issues

Abu Dhabi: The UAE will be transparent in dealing with human trafficking issues, a senior official has said.

Speaking ahead of a two-day symposium on human trafficking organised by the Interior Ministry, Colonel Ahmad Mohammad Nakhira Al Muharami, the Head of the Human Rights Department, said: "We will not hide human trafficking-related cases, its numbers or its victims. The UAE is fully committed to tackling the issue head on. We will be fully transparent in dealing with it."

"The number of human trafficking cases in the country is very limited and it has not grown into a phenomenon," said Colonel Al Muharami. The department set up recently will shortly announce the statistics, he said.

The UAE has taken positive strides in upgrading the laws and regulations in order to address the issue, he said. He lauded the leadership for its commitment to curb such heinous crimes and equipping the law with more teeth to bring offenders to justice.

"Also, human trafficking is a problem worldwide, an organised crime which threatens the safety and security of countries. It is considered one of the worst crimes against humanity and leaves behind a huge number of victims. The victims are left with lasting psychological and social impacts and low self-esteem.

"The number of cases that fall in the human trafficking category is very low. We are now being appreciated by the international community for the progress we have made on this front." He said that the country's focus will be on preventive mechanisms rather than punitive ones.

Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Ahmad Al Rashidi, head of the organising committee for the symposium and head of protocol in the Interior Ministry, urged greater involvement by residents. "People should inform the authorities of any suspicious activities. And all support will be extended to them."

Captain Zubaida Jasem Mohammad of the Undersecretaries Department in the Ministry, said that agencies such as the Labour Ministry, judiciary and law enforcement bodies will share information to curb human trafficking.

She said the origins of the crime are mostly outside the UAE and that international cooperation is sought in probes. The symposium highlights methods of detecting and investigating trafficking-related crimes.