UAE MINISTRY FIRM ON COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, March 30 (Bernama) -- In a further sign of its commitment to
addressing labour issues, the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Labour Ministry has
created a new unit focusing on combating human trafficking.

The move was in line with efforts to promote a stable labour market based
on the rule of law, extending protection to the respective legitimate rights
and interests of employers and workers, the ministry said in a statement.

"We believe that human trafficking represents a threat to the welfare and
security of our society and national economy and, consequently, to the proper
functioning of our labour market," it quoted Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash as
saying.

According to a recent report, UAE is home to over three million foreign
workers, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the private sector workforce.

The anti-human trafficking section will be responsible for developing
indicators that identify potential labour trafficking activity, and responding
with a specialised inspection capability.

It will contribute to the preparation of reports and producing draft
legislation to combat labour trafficking to complement existing laws.

In addition, the unit is tasked with coordinating with judicial and law
enforcement agencies to develop effective tools to monitor and prosecute cases
that may be classified under criminal human trafficking.

"We're working on developing our inspection mechanisms to become more
effective in following up the conditions of workers and identify
irregularities affecting their physical and moral conditions," said Ghobash.

-- BERNAMA