UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash revealed Monday that 30 human trafficking cases were detected in his country in 2018. Gargash, who serves also as Chairman of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, said these cases involved 51 women, children and even men as victims.
He said 77 traffickers were prosecuted during 2018 and 10 of them were sentenced to life in prison. In a press statement on the occasion of launching 2019’s annual report of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, Gargash stressed the UAE’s commitment to bolster and protect human rights and to continue to combat the crime of human trafficking.
“The UAE has, over the past decade, been working tirelessly to combat human trafficking through strategic plans at various levels,” he noted. It has enforced laws and implemented preventive and deterrent measures in coordination with international partners, he explained.
Gargash said the Committee’s report reflects UAE’s efforts in this field. He said it comes in the context of raising the society’s awareness against this crime, which is faced by all the world countries.
“On a national level, our authorities, with support from the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, have conducted several awareness campaigns targeting all members of the society, particularly groups who are most at risk.”
“Last year, over 620 government employees including lawyers, security officers, policemen, judicial officials and others have received training to increase understanding of human trafficking, and to protect those exploited by human traffickers.”
He said that the UAE has launched an official campaign to contain this crime in 2006, when it issued a federal law and amended it in 2015 to provide greater guarantees for this crime’s victims.
The Committee’s strategy is based on five main pillars: precaution, prevention, prosecution, punishment and protection of victims as well as the promotion of international cooperation, Gargash stated.
He noted that this strategy aims at overcoming obstacles and boosting coordination efforts among concerned authorities from federal ministries, law enforcement agencies and civil society institutions.
According to authorities, campaigns to raise awareness among the public has reached about 240,000 people across the UAE.
The Committee has also helped victims of human trafficking through giving them shelter and providing them with healthcare services.
