Dubai: Providing legal and psychological support to the women and children who fall prey to human traffickers are the goals of a section that was established lately by Dubai Police.
The section that takes care of human trafficking victims at Dubai Police's Human Rights Care Department was established this year.
Lieutenant Colonel Dr Mohammad Al Murr, Director of the Human Rights Care Department, told Gulf News earlier there was a programme to take care of human trafficking victims in 2003. This year the programme became a section under the Human Rights Care Department.
He said the section takes care of human trafficking victims, especially women and children because they are defenceless and require care and support.
"The section, which consists of three divisions, provides psychological, social and legal support for the victims," Lieutenant Colonel Dr Al Murr said.
He said the three divisions are investigation, legal support and preventative support.
The investigation division's job is to investigate cases that arrive at the section directly to make sure the person really is a victim.
The legal support division explains to the victim the legal procedures that she must follow and coordinates with the department of Combating Human Trafficking in the CID, the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) and the consulates of the victims' countries.
Legal support
"The legal support includes following up the case in the Public Prosecution and courts to identify the suspect. The section follows up the case and keeps the victim updated on its status," Colonel Dr Al Murr said.
He said they cooperate with many parties which inform them about human trafficking victims and they follow it up with the CID to investigate and arrest suspects. Victims may also approach the section and submit a report directly or by telephone.
Colonel Dr Al Murr said the Preventative Support division aims at combating human trafficking by spreading awareness among the public on the definition of human trafficking and people who fall victims.
He said this is done through lectures and booklets issued by the section in Arabic and English.
He said investigators in the section are male and female officers but female officers provide psychological support.
Colonel Dr Al Murr said the section cooperates with CID, DNRD, the consulates, the Dubai Women and Children's Foundation and other parties.
According to statistics, the section dealt with nine reports of human trafficking in 2007 compared to 23 reports in 2006.
Lure of jobs
Most of the cases the section receives are related to women who are promised jobs here as nurses or air hostesses.
After they come here, someone from their own nationality receives them at the airport and takes their passports.
After that, the women are taken to hotels and forced into prostitution.
Some manage to escape and contact the section through police stations, while others suffer mental torture.
