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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8447
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
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RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0086
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RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV
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RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1338
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0378
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0231
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 0048

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 20 ABU DHABI 000368 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, NEA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF ELAB KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC AE
SUBJECT: UAE 2007 TIP REPORT 
 
REF: 06 STATE 202745 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  001.3 OF 020 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Following is Post's submission of the 2007 
Trafficking in Persons Report for the United Arab Emirates, 
covering the reporting period of April 2006 through March 
¶2007.  Responses under each section heading are keyed to the 
relevant sections of reftel paragraphs 27-30.  Embassy TIP 
point of contact is PolOff Benjamin Thomson, office:  971 (2) 
414-2621, fax:  971 (2) 414-2639; email: thomsonba@state.gov. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES TO ELIMINATE TIP 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  The following responses are keyed to reftel 
paragraph No. 27. 
 
-- A.  The United Arab Emirates was a country of destination 
for international trafficked men, women, and children; there 
is also some information to suggest that the UAE was a 
country of transit for trafficking victims, particularly 
domestic workers.  There is no evidence that the UAE was a 
source country for trafficking victims.  There were no 
reliable numbers or demographic breakdown regarding 
trafficking, but reports by NGOs, IGOs, and source countries 
estimated the number of trafficking victims currently in the 
UAE as varying between a few thousand and tens of thousands, 
depending on their definition of trafficking. 
 
In the UAE, most victims were trafficked as either unskilled 
laborers or commercial sex workers.  Undoubtedly, the largest 
number of trafficking victims were men and women primarily 
from South Asia entered the UAE as unskilled labor; the men 
to work in construction and the women as domestic workers. 
While the total number of construction workers exceeds 
500,000 and domestic workers 200,000 (according to various 
source country embassies), the actual number of trafficking 
victims among them is unknown.  Construction workers, 
particularly from India, often arrive in a state of debt 
bondage having voluntarily paid as much as $2,700 (10,000 
dirhams) to an agent in the source country to arrange an 
employment contract.  These workers typically receive a 
salary of between $135 to $200 (500 to 750 dirhams) per 
month, and often are not paid for several months at a time, 
while interest continues to accrue on their debt.  Trapped in 
these conditions for 2 to 3 years (on average), bonded labor 
victims could easily number in the tens of thousands 
according to a prominent U.S. NGO.  Domestic workers 
generally came to the UAE voluntarily, but often had their 
passports seized upon entry, or came with the understanding 
that they would work in a more-skilled profession instead of 
the one into which they were coerced.  According to source 
country embassies, victims of these circumstances could range 
from hundreds to thousands.  There were reports that women -- 
primarily from Sri Lanka and the Philippines -- were lured to 
the UAE to work as domestic workers but were then sent to 
work in other countries including Oman and Sudan. 
 
The second largest group of victims were those brought for 
the commercial sex industry.  These women come from a myriad 
of countries spanning from eastern Europe to Africa to East 
Asia.  At least 10,000 women worked in the commercial sex 
industry last year; there is no reliable information as to 
how many were trafficking victims. 
 
-- B.  A general overview of the situation for each of the 
primary trafficking categories is provided below. 
 
Unskilled Labor:   The UAE economy is heavily dependent on 
foreign labor.  An estimated 80 percent of the total UAE 
population, and roughly 98 percent of the private workforce, 
is expatriate.  The majority of unskilled workers are from 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  002.2 OF 020 
 
 
poor source countries who were came to the UAE for its 
economic opportunities.  Many of these workers became 
trafficking victims after their arrival in the UAE.  These 
victims were primarily women from South and Central Asia 
particularly India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the 
Philippines, who were trafficked here as domestic laborers; 
and men from India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan who came to the 
UAE to work as laborers, primarily in the construction 
sector, but also in agriculture. 
 
Labor conditions in the UAE can be harsh for all unskilled 
workers, and more so for trafficking victims. There were 
reports from NGOs, IGOs, source country diplomatic 
representatives, and media that some employers abused 
domestic servants, both trafficked and voluntary workers. 
Allegations included excessive work hours, nonpayment of 
wages, verbal, mental, physical, and sexual abuse, and 
restriction of movement.  There were some additional local 
media and anecdotal reports of a few isolated cases of 
domestic servants committing suicide or dying while trying to 
escape from their employers' homes after being locked inside 
for weeks or months at a time. 
 
Trafficking victims in this sector usually arrive in the 
country voluntarily, having entered into employment contracts 
in their home country with an agent (usually of the same 
nationality as the victim) located in the UAE.  Once the 
employee arrives in the UAE, the agent seizes the victim's 
passport and holds it for the term of the contract.  The 
practice of seizing passports remains common among employers 
in all professions, including public sector jobs, even though 
outlawed in July 2003.  By law, employers may only legally 
hold employees' passports long enough to take care of 
administrative business, after which time the employers are 
required to return the passports to their employees. However, 
the practice of retaining an employee's passport indefinitely 
remains commonplace in both the private and public sectors. 
The UAEG organized a public relations campaign to inform both 
workers and employers that the practice is illegal.  There 
were numerous instances, widely reported by the media, in 
which UAE courts and embassies or consulates successfully 
intervened to compel an employer to return a passport to an 
employee. 
 
Contract switching was common in the case of domestic 
workers.  Domestic workers were sometimes made employment 
offers to work as a secretary or other office job and travel 
to the UAE on a visit visa with the promise that the contract 
would be signed in the UAE, but upon arrival the worker was 
informed that he/she would be working as a domestic worker or 
in the hotel or restaurant sector.  In a new occurrence this 
year, there were reports of women being brought to the UAE on 
domestic servant contracts who were subsequently not employed 
in the UAE but sent to work in other countries (e.g. Sudan). 
There were further reports that domestic workers who ran away 
from abusive employers and sought assistance from the 
recruitment agencies that brought them to the UAE were 
coerced into transferring their contracts and were sent to 
work in other countries (e.g. Oman).  Employees who sought 
assistance from their respective diplomatic missions were 
almost always able to resolve their complaints to the 
employees' satisfaction.  Source country labor attaches 
report good relations with Ministery of Interior (MoI) and 
immigration officials, and state that although domestic 
workers are not covered under the labor law, Ministry 
officials routinely offer similar dispute resolution 
processes and protections as the labor law provides, but on 
an informal basis.  In March 2007, the UAEG announced a 
standardized work contract for all domestic workers that will 
take effect on April 1, 2007.  The new standard contract 
stipulates benefits but not wages, and formalizes a dispute 
resolution process through each emirate's Naturalization and 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  003.2 OF 020 
 
 
Residency Department. 
 
A small contingent of underage Filipina workers appear to 
have been brought to the UAE as domestic workers; these girls 
are sometimes as young as 14 years old.  The majority of 
these girls are Muslims from the island of Mindanao, where 
Christian church records that are often relied on for 
accurate date of birth are not available.  Since the UAEG 
does not issue work permits for persons under 18 years of 
age, these girls, along with a family member (often their 
mother), will sign an attestation of age and apply for a 
passport indicating that the girl is at least 18 years of 
age.  Using a genuine passport (containing fraudulent 
information) a girl would then enter into a domestic worker 
contract and travel to the UAE.  Young, inexperienced, and 
completely cut off from family, these girls are usually 
unprepared for the life that awaits them as domestic workers 
in households (sometimes physically isolated) where there is 
no one who speaks the same language.  UAE immigration 
officials are aware of this trend and actively screen 
passengers, especially young women, turning them around at 
the port of entry if they are unaccompanied or their age is 
in question.  According to Philippines labor officials, these 
girls continue to arrive at a steady rate despite MoI and 
Naturalization and Residency Department's efforts.  As of 
March 2007, the local Philippines labor office will not 
approve domestic worker contracts for women under the age of 
¶25. 
 
The Ministries of Interior and Labor have expended 
considerable effort to prevent and resolve these problems. 
MoI took action against hundreds of employers who abused or 
failed to pay their domestic employees.  According to current 
regulations, ministry officials can ban an employer from 
further sponsorship of domestic employees after receiving 
four reports of abuse. Police officials, particularly in 
Dubai, assisted trafficking victims once they identified 
themselves as such.  However, victims were often reluctant to 
approach police due to their illegal status and the risk of 
losing their jobs and being arrested and deported.  Source 
country officials have stated that the Ministries of Labor 
and Interior, and the Immigration Departments of both Abu 
Dhabi and Dubai, significantly increased their efforts at 
addressing the labor complaints of the domestic workers. 
Contrary to past practices where complaining employees were 
summarily deported, source country officials reported that 
the Departments of Immigration in Abu Dhabi and Dubai 
resolved approximately 80% of domestic worker complaints in 
favor of the worker, garnering back-wages, or allowing them 
to transfer to other employers, depending on the nature of 
the complaint. 
 
Construction workers, the largest single work force in the 
UAE, often worked under the harshest conditions.  The media 
regularly reported on strikes by construction workers 
protesting adverse working conditions and unpaid salaries. 
There were several strikes involving more than 1,000 workers; 
the striking workers claimed they had not been paid for 
periods up to six months.  (Unpaid construction workers in 
the UAE often continue working without pay, fearing that if 
they protest they may have no chance to recover wages owed to 
them.  With their room and board provided by their employer, 
the amount of time that they are willing/able to keep working 
without pay is much longer than would be the case in a 
typical non-trafficking work situation, where the salary 
would be needed to cover the expenses of daily life.)  The 
Ministry of Labor resolved these disputes quickly when they 
became known.  Legally employed construction workers are 
covered by the existing UAE labor law, with a clear protest 
and mediation procedure.  However, legally employed domestic 
servants and agricultural workers are not covered by the 
labor law, and must appeal to the Naturalization and 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  004.2 OF 020 
 
 
Residency Departments regarding disputes with their 
employers. 
 
Commercial Sex:  The commercial sex industry in the UAE is 
extensive, with some estimates in excess of 15,000 
prostitutes resident among a population of less than five 
million people.  Dubai police stated that they themselves 
typically arrest and deport between 5,000-6,000 prostitutes 
annually, and the total number of prostitutes has not 
significantly decreased year-over-year.  There were no 
reliable estimates of how many prostitutes (primarily in 
Dubai, with somewhat fewer numbers in Abu Dhabi and 
significantly fewer numbers in the Northern Emirates) were 
trafficking victims. 
 
Victims in this sector come from many different countries 
including (in rank order within each region) from eastern 
Europe: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, 
Armenia, and Azerbaijan; Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, 
and Morocco; and Asia: China, India, the Philippines, and 
Pakistan, along with far fewer numbers from other Middle 
Eastern countries, especially Iran, and more recently Iraq. 
The Minister of Interior of Kyrgyzstan estimated that as many 
as 1,500 women a year are trafficked to the UAE from 
Kyrgyzstan, and it is widely acknowledged that a nearly equal 
number are coming from Ukraine, Russia, and China, and 
slightly more from Uzbekistan.  These four countries alone 
would account for the 6,000 replacements necessary to keep 
the total number stable due to arrests and deportations. 
 
Many women currently or formerly engaged in prostitution 
admitted to both law enforcement and diplomatic officials to 
voluntarily traveling to and from the UAE for temporary 
stays, during which time they engaged in prostitution and 
possibly other activities connected with organized crime. 
Many of these women stated that they traveled to the UAE for 
this purpose due to extreme economic hardship in their own 
countries, and they often used same-nationality smugglers and 
false documents to gain entry into the UAE.  Others were 
lured to the UAE by organized groups in the source country 
under the false pretense of legitimate employment, but were 
then forced into prostitution through physical abuse, 
including rape, extreme mental abuse, and other threats 
against themselves or their families.  Originally promised 
jobs in hotels or as secretaries, these victims were informed 
upon their arrival that they would be working in the sex 
industry, often coerced into working as dancers before 
"graduating" from dancing to prostitution.  Because the 
traffickers are usually from the same country as the victims, 
the victims are often afraid to give evidence, as they 
believe the traffickers will exact revenge on their families 
or on them once in the source country (this is especially 
true with those from the CIS countries and to a lesser extent 
the Chinese). 
 
Regardless of whether the women came to the UAE with the 
intent of working in the sex industry or not, upon arrival, 
traffickers often seized victims' passports, restricted their 
movements, and imposed steep (thousands of U.S. dollars) 
debts incurred from their travel and other expenses, to be 
"paid off" by working as prostitutes and forfeiting their 
earned income.  Often, when the debt was paid, the trafficker 
sold the victim to another trafficker, who in turn forced the 
victim to pay off yet another debt.  Some trafficked women 
were imprisoned in private residences and cheap hotels. 
Others worked in dance clubs, bars, hotels, massage parlors, 
and other public venues, primarily in Dubai, but also in Abu 
Dhabi and, in smaller numbers, cities in the Northern 
Emirates.  Some trafficking victims, primarily women and 
teenage girls, were held in private residences in all seven 
emirates for sexual and/or labor exploitation.  Local and 
federal law enforcement authorities generally do not consider 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  005.2 OF 020 
 
 
someone a victim if that person came to the UAE with the 
intention of being a prostitute and then later became 
involved in a situation where they were a victim of 
trafficking. 
 
Diplomatic officials and NGOs report that the governments in 
the Northern Emirates, including Dubai, are not genuinely 
concerned about prostitution or the trafficking of women. 
According to these reports, officials perceive it as a 
foreigner-on-foreigner crime, and therefore not of particular 
concern.  Prostitutes and alcohol are primary attractions for 
some foreign visitors from the region, who subsequently spend 
money on hotels, food, and other items while in Dubai.  A 
perceived need to address problems inherent in the presence 
of some 600,000 unaccompanied male laborers in the country is 
another factor contributing to official apathy. Prostitution 
is blatant and apparent in virtually every hotel and bar in 
both Abu Dhabi and Dubai where the hotel management has not 
taken a special interest in prohibiting its practice. 
 
-- C. UAEG ability to combat trafficking? 
 
The UAE has both structural and cultural impediments to 
combating trafficking, but corruption does not seem to be a 
significant contributing problem.  Gaining its independence 
in 1971, the UAE has evolved from little-known desert 
sheikhdoms to an international business and transportation 
hub.  As a result of the country's rapid modernization and 
growth, the federal government and the governments of the 
individual emirates are increasingly tasked with responding 
to complex transnational challenges, many of which involve 
foreign organized criminal groups, including terrorism and 
money laundering, as well as trafficking in persons, drugs, 
illegal arms, and weapons of mass destruction components. 
These complex issues stretch the human resources of UAEG law 
enforcement, which lacks overall institutional knowledge and 
experience due to the country's young age and small national 
population.  Ministry and law enforcement officials at all 
but the very top levels often lack appropriate levels of 
formal training and/or on-the-job experience to assist them 
in the performance of their jobs. 
 
A loose federation comprised of seven individual emirates, 
the UAE is governed by consensus of the seven emirates' 
rulers.  The federal Government asserts primacy in matters of 
foreign and defense policy, some aspects of internal 
security, and increasingly in matters of law and the supply 
of some government services.  However, the loose federal 
structure and requirement for consensus often prevent quick 
action on matters with any level of controversy, such as TIP. 
 
The federal Ministry of Interior oversees the Police General 
Directorates in each of the seven emirates; however, each 
emirate maintains its own police force and supervises the 
police stations in that emirate.  While all emirate police 
forces theoretically are branches of the MoI, in practice 
they operate with considerable autonomy. 
 
The bureaucratic process to pass legislation, accede to 
international treaties or create national strategies can 
often be lengthy.  The Justice Ministry oversees the passage 
of new legislation and accession to bilateral or multilateral 
treaties.  An inter-ministerial technical committee works to 
draft agreed language, which is then submitted for approval 
to a second inter-ministerial Political Committee that 
includes representatives from each emirate.  The Political 
Committee is charged with achieving consensus on the draft 
language from the seven emirates.  Once consensus is 
achieved, the draft language is presented to the Federal 
National Council (FNC) for debate and consideration.  After 
the FNC concludes its consideration, it recommends draft 
language to the Federal Cabinet, which then conducts its own 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  006.2 OF 020 
 
 
review and considers the draft language for passage into law 
after ratification by the Supreme Council (comprised of the 
rulers of all seven emirates). 
 
Consistent enforcement of laws throughout the country is 
sometimes affected by the relative independence of security 
and police forces in each emirate.  While all emirate 
internal security organs theoretically are branches of one 
federal organization, in practice they operate with 
considerable independence.  Each emirate maintains its own 
independent police force at different budget levels.  Civil 
courts are generally a part of the federal system and 
accountable to the Federal Supreme Court (with the exception 
of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah emirates, which have their own 
independent judiciaries).  Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah do not 
refer cases in their courts to the Federal Supreme Court for 
judicial review, although they maintained a liaison with the 
federal Ministry of Justice. 
 
Some cultural characteristics also hamper the Government's 
ability to immediately address TIP.  For example, as a Muslim 
country, public discussion of sex is culturally taboo, which 
makes it difficult to address sex trafficking.  Similarly, 
due to a cultural emphasis on privacy regarding matters of 
the home, people rarely discuss abuse of trafficked domestic 
servants publicly. 
 
UAE immigration officials routinely block foreigners who have 
been deported and attempt to re-enter the country illegally, 
using iris recognition biometric technology.  The database 
contains approximately four million iris scan results, 
including the results of over 300,000 illegal immigrants who 
have been deported.  However, authorities kept no data 
documenting how many individuals were real or potential human 
trafficking victims. 
 
As a wealthy country, the UAEG theoretically was not limited 
financially in its ability to fight TIP.  But as a young 
country with a largely inexperienced public work force, it 
required continued personnel training to educate and 
sensitize officials on the issue.  Funding for police 
services was generally adequate, although, as a loose 
federation, there were sharply different budget levels in the 
seven emirates, which led to varied ability to fund police 
programs and aid victims.  Additionally, like many countries, 
federal ministry and local department budgets were determined 
on an annual basis.  Consequently, new programs may be 
required to wait until the next budget grant when new monies 
can be allocated. 
 
-- D.  UAEG systematic anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
The UAEG devoted time and resources to sensitizing law 
enforcement and immigration officials to the subject of 
trafficking in persons, as well as practical training 
techniques to protect victims and prevent future trafficking 
incidents.  Abu Dhabi and Dubai police and the Ministries of 
Interior, Health, and Justice have all held anti-TIP training 
courses throughout the year. 
 
The Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department regularly 
offered training for arrival and departure inspectors in 
identifying fraudulent documents, often used by trafficking 
victims.  The UAEG also supplied ports of entry and source 
country embassies and consulates with brochures to try to 
warn off potential trafficking victims, as well as to inform 
victims where they can go to receive assistance.  In March 
2007, Dubai Police organized the first (reportedly in a 
series) workshop on investigating human trafficking crimes. 
The UAEG senior leadership asked the USG for training 
information and opportunities that would further their 
efforts to combat trafficking in persons, and help law 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  007.2 OF 020 
 
 
enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges to better 
identify, investigate and prosecute trafficking in persons 
cases. 
 
The Government provided some assistance to trafficking 
victims, once identified as such.  Counseling services are 
available in public hospitals and jails, and human rights 
care departments are present in all Dubai police stations. 
There is an anti-TIP unit in the Dubai Police Central 
Investigative Division (CID), and a Dubai Police Human Rights 
Care Department (HRCD) that handles human trafficking cases. 
Women arrested on suspicion of prostitution who identify 
themselves as trafficking victims are cared for outside the 
prison system, often in a hotel or shelter. 
 
Over the reporting period, senior leaders voiced their strong 
political will to combat trafficking in persons, although 
there are questions as to whether they understand and/or 
identify the problem in a manner consistent with USG 
definitions (i.e. women who come to work as prostitutes and 
are victimized afterwards).  The highest levels of leadership 
have detailed good faith efforts to address human 
trafficking.  However, there continued to be a significant 
presence of thousands of women and teenage girls, a 
significant number of whom are likely trafficking victims, 
working in well known public venues as prostitutes. 
 
There was no evidence that corruption of public officials was 
a systemic problem.  There were no verifiable reports of 
government officials being linked to TIP activity during the 
reporting period.  In the past, the UAEG investigated and 
prosecuted government officials suspected of committing 
criminal offenses, such as embezzlement and fraud, and in 
2006 significantly increased the penalties for government 
corruption.  The new anti-trafficking legislation passed in 
December 2006 increased the penalty for public officials 
involved in trafficking to life in prison.  This willingness 
to take action against government officials suspected of 
illegal activity indicated that the UAEG would likely take 
action against government officials linked to trafficking in 
persons, if identified. 
 
While UAEG law enforcement generally did a good job of 
protecting and assisting TIP victims, once identified, it 
generally did not proactively investigate trafficking cases, 
nor did it regularly arrest, prosecute, and punish 
traffickers, brothel owners, pimps, or customers of 
prostitutes.  However, the UAEG did regularly deport both 
traffickers and prostitutes, banning them from returning to 
the country.  UAEG officials believe that quick, permanent 
administrative deportations of suspected traffickers is more 
effective than pursuing a slow legal case against them 
through the courts, which would impose a higher burden of 
proof.  The UAEG did not provide any statistics regarding the 
number of suspected traffickers that were deported. 
 
 ---------- 
 PREVENTION 
 ---------- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  The following responses are keyed to reftel 
paragraph No. 28. 
 
-- A.  Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a 
problem in the country? 
 
The UAEG acknowledges that trafficking in persons is a 
problem, but fails to acknowledge the scope and magnitude of 
the problem.  UAEG senior leaders have noted a number of 
times that this global crime must be addressed for 
humanitarian as well as national security reasons.  UAEG 
officials recognize that a failure to attack any type of 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  008.2 OF 020 
 
 
organized crime opens the country to organized crime in other 
areas, such as drugs or weapons. 
 
Despite the UAEG acknowledgment that trafficking is a 
problem, many officials fail to recognize it in practice.  In 
conversations with police officials ranging from street-level 
officers to senior Human Rights officials within the Dubai 
Police, the USG's concept of trafficking is apparently 
difficult for them to understand, and not generally accepted. 
 One senior MoI official disputed the 2006 TIP report 
estimate of a possible 10,000 sex trafficking victims stating 
that they had looked into the issue and had only been able to 
identify "a handful."  If victims enter the country 
voluntarily with the intent to break the law, law enforcement 
authorities do not recognize them as being trafficking 
victims regardless of what happened to them upon arrival. 
Similarly, they generally do not identify any unskilled 
laborers as trafficking victims if they are over the age of 
18 and entered the country voluntarily or have a valid labor 
contract.  Embassy and consulate representatives have 
repeatedly been told by police officials that any problem 
with laborers is an issue for the Ministry of Labor to 
address, and not a law enforcement problem. 
 
-- B.  Which government agencies are involved in 
anti-trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the 
lead? 
 
Both federal ministries and local emirate departments are 
involved in anti-trafficking efforts.  On the federal level, 
the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Health, 
and Labor are involved actively in anti-trafficking efforts. 
On the local level, police and immigration departments, 
public prosecution, and social services departments are also 
involved.  Police and other government officials have worked 
more closely with members of the media to draw more public 
attention to the problem.  In December 2004, the government 
transferred the federal TIP portfolio to the MoI from the MFA 
with a Ministery of Justice heading the anti-trafficking 
committee.  The December 2006 anti-trafficking legislation 
created a new anti-trafficking committee; it is unknown who 
is on or leads that committee. 
 
In Dubai, there does not seem to be a distinct lead agency. 
Nominally it would be the police through Dubai Police,s 
Human Rights Care Department and CID,s anti-trafficking 
unit, although the Dubai Naturalization and Residency 
Department (DNRD) is also involved in anti-trafficking, 
including funding construction of planned shelters for 
trafficked women. 
 
-- C.  Are there, or have there been, government-run 
anti-trafficking information or education campaigns?  Do 
these campaigns target potential trafficking victims and/or 
the demand for trafficking? 
 
In 2005, a new Dubai labor committee announced the 
establishment of a website and 24-hour labor complaint 
hotline within the Dubai Police Department.  Both the website 
and hotline allowed domestic workers and laborers to lodge 
complaints which would then be investigated expeditiously. 
In order to make these mechanisms known to the labor 
community, the committee launched a $540,000 public awareness 
campaign including television and print ads in addition to 
pamphlets and brochures delivered to worksites and airports. 
 
-- D.  Does the government support other programs to prevent 
trafficking? 
 
The UAEG does not directly support any other programs to 
prevent trafficking.  Indirectly, government ministries and 
departments, charitable and other organizations funded by the 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  009.2 OF 020 
 
 
Government and individual ruling family members are involved 
in programs that help to prevent trafficking.  Generous 
charitable contributions and programs often are directed at 
source countries and target assisting the populations 
greatest at risk for becoming trafficking victims. 
 
Within the UAE's borders, the government-funded UAE Red 
Crescent Authority, an affiliate of the International 
Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 
provided assistance to widows, divorced women, prisoners' 
wives, orphans, prisoners and students from poor families. 
Internal projects funded by the Red Crescent Authority 
included maintaining schools and mosques, digging wells, 
building health units, and training people with special 
needs. 
 
Outside the UAE, the UAE Red Crescent Authority and other 
charitable organizations funded by individual ruling family 
members, such as the Zayed Foundation and the Mohammed bin 
Rashid al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, 
conducted humanitarian relief projects and provided 
reconstruction and other types of assistance to a number of 
countries worldwide. 
 
-- E.  What is the relationship between government officials, 
NGOs, other relevant organizations, and other elements of 
civil society on the trafficking issue? 
 
The UAEG works with foreign embassies, consulates and 
ministries, and source country NGOs, to provide shelter and 
assistance to victims and facilitate their repatriation, as 
well as to stop the flow of trafficking victims at the source 
before they reach the UAE.  The UAEG has a good working 
relationship with the local branch of the UNDP.  The Dubai 
Human Rights Care Department has worked with a number of 
source country and U.S.-based NGOs.  The Abu Dhabi Police 
College has worked with the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM), Amnesty International, and Interpol to 
develop its anti-TIP training program. 
 
In close coordination with UNICEF, the government established 
social support centers in the UAE and in source countries to 
provide for the care and repatriation of children identified 
as trafficking victims in the camel racing industry--more 
than 1,069 children were repatriated between July 2005 and 
March 2006.  In December 2006, the UAE expanded the 
assistance programs provided in source countries to allow all 
former underage camel jockeys that had worked in the UAE to 
receive assistance.  These assistance programs include 
medical and psychiatric care, and free education to former 
victims, and will be paid for through a new $9 million grant 
from the UAE.  The services will be provided by UNICEF 
through a contract that has been extended until May 2009. 
 
-- F.  Does it monitor immigration and emigration patterns 
for evidence of trafficking?  Do law enforcement agencies 
screen for potential trafficking victims along borders? 
 
The various departments of Immigration, Naturalization, and 
Residency reportedly keep statistics on immigration and 
emigration, and have identified patterns for evidence of 
trafficking.  In response to this information, the government 
does not permit single women under 21 to enter the UAE unless 
they have legitimate visas, and children from seven 
identified source countries must have their own passports, 
even though those countries may allow children to be endorsed 
on a parent's passport. 
 
Both federal and emirate-level immigration authorities are 
responsible for controlling the influx of people at the 
country's international airports.  Immigration authorities 
regularly conducted training to detect fraudulent documents, 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  010.2 OF 020 
 
 
often used by trafficked persons, for arrival and departure 
inspectors.  The Armed Forces are responsible for guarding 
and monitoring the UAE's coast and land borders.  Border 
guards have the legal authority to stop and inspect 
individuals at the border or points of entry, especially if 
there is suspicion of illegal activity.  The UAE is erecting 
a fence barrier that will run for roughly 525 miles along its 
land borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia, in an effort to curb 
land-based smugglers and illegal immigration. 
 
In 2000, the MoI's Department of Naturalization and Residency 
created a central operations room including an integrated 
federal data center to track the arrival and departure of 
individuals in the Federation's seven emirates.  In 2003, the 
UAEG instituted the use of iris recognition scans to add 
biometrics identification information to its databases, to 
better monitor migration and combat document fraud by 
visitors and illegal immigrants, some of whom are trafficking 
victims.  Using this technology, UAE immigration authorities 
have stopped over 30,000 potential illegal immigrants, some 
of whom were likely trafficking victims.  The database 
contains approximately four million iris scan results, 
including the results of over 300,000 illegal immigrants and 
convicts who have been deported. 
 
-- G.  Is there a mechanism for coordination and 
communication between various agencies, internal, 
international, and multilateral on trafficking related 
matters?  Does the government have a trafficking in persons 
working group or a task force?  Does the government have a 
trafficking in persons working group or single point of 
contact?  Does the government have an anti-corruption task 
force? 
 
The government coordinates its trafficking efforts through a 
national committee set up specifically to address the 
problem.  The committee consists of members from various 
ministries, and is headed by a national coordinator who is 
currently the Director of International Affairs of the Abu 
Dhabi Crown Prince's Court.  There is no anti-corruption task 
force, but several anti-corruption units have been 
established within the Abu Dhabi police department. 
 
-- H.  Does the government have a national plan of action to 
address trafficking in persons?  Which agencies are involved 
in developing it?  Were NGOs consulted in the process?  What 
steps has the government taken to disseminate the plan? 
 
The government has not adopted a national plan of action.  A 
standing national anti-trafficking committee develops and 
coordinates all anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The following responses are keyed to reftel 
paragraph No. 29. 
 
-- A.  Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting 
trafficking in persons?  If not, under what law can 
traffickers be prosecuted?  Are these laws being used in 
trafficking cases, and when taken together, adequately cover 
the full scope of trafficking issues? 
 
In December 2006, the UAEG enacted a comprehensive 
anti-trafficking law that addresses all forms of trafficking 
in persons.  The law is sufficiently broad to cover the full 
scope of trafficking cases if actively enforced.  On March 1, 
2007, the Dubai Attorney General referred a case to court 
involving an Indian couple transiting from India through 
Dubai to Paris with two unrelated Indian boys with forged 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  011.2 OF 020 
 
 
passports.  This will be the first case prosecuted under the 
new legislation. 
 
Justice Ministry officials state that prior to passage of the 
new law in December that traffickers were prosecuted under 
several penal laws, including:  kidnapping; rape; sexual 
abuse; sexual exploitation; immoral acts; exploitation of a 
person for immoral acts;  physical abuse; false imprisonment; 
juvenile endangerment;  forced labor; child labor; forced 
prostitution; indecency; enticement, inducement or deceiving 
a person to commit immoral acts or prostitution; aiding or 
facilitating the commission of immoral acts or prostitution; 
keeping or operating a place for immoral acts or 
prostitution; and money laundering.  In all, no less than 10 
different provisions of the Penal Code address trafficking 
crimes relating to women and children. 
 
-- B.  What are the penalties for traffickers of people for 
sexual exploitation? 
 
Human trafficking for sexual exploitation carries a minimum 
sentence of five-years in prison, and is extended to life in 
prison if the victim is a female, a child, or is mentally 
impaired; or if the perpetrator is a spouse, parent, 
descendent, or guardian of the victim; if the perpetrator is 
a public servant or member of an organized criminal group; or 
if the act is committed  with the use or threat of force, 
violence, death, or physical or psychological torture. In 
addition to penalties for trafficking, simple sexual 
exploitation is punishable by a maximum of one year 
imprisonment with a fine, and a minimum of two years 
imprisonment if the victim is under the age of 18 or if the 
person was lured into prostitution.  If force, threat, or 
fraud was used, then the maximum penalty is 10 years 
imprisonment, increasing to a minimum of 10 years 
imprisonment if the victim was under the age of 18.  Any 
individual who exploits another individual,s engagement in 
sexual activity or prostitution can be imprisoned for a 
maximum of five years.  Non-citizens convicted are usually 
deported following their prison sentence. 
 
-- C.  Punishment for Labor Trafficking Offenses: What are 
the prescribed and imposed penalties for trafficking for 
labor exploitation, such as forced or bonded labor and 
involuntary servitude? 
 
The crime of forcing a person to work is punishable by a 
maximum of one-year imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of 
$2,700 (AED 10,000).  The maximum penalty for trafficking for 
the purpose of owning, trading, or enslaving a woman or a 
child, is life in prison.  There are no laws that explicitly 
criminalize labor practices such as contract switching or 
seizing a laborer's passport in a manner that would result in 
prison time.  However, the anti-trafficking legislation is 
sufficiently broad to cover labor recruiters/agents in both 
the source and destination countries for these practices if 
fraudulent labor practices are deemed to be trafficking.  The 
Labor Law does criminalize the use of fraudulent documents in 
labor recruitment, with a maximum penalty of six-months in 
prison and/or a maximum fine $6,800 (25,000 dirhams). 
 
-- D. What are the penalties for rape or forcible assault? 
How do they compare to the penalties for sex trafficking? 
 
Sentencing for rape ranges from two years to capital 
punishment, and may include lashing.  The penalty for rape 
that leads to the death of the victim or for rape with 
extenuating circumstances is death.  Penalties for sex 
trafficking range from a minimum of five years  to life in 
prison depending on a variety of factors and circumstances of 
both the victim and the perpetrator. 
 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  012.2 OF 020 
 
 
-- E.  Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized?  Are the 
activities of the brothel owner/operator, pimp, clients, 
enforcers criminalized? 
 
Prostitution is criminalized by law.  The penalty for being a 
prostitute is temporary imprisonment, and deportation if a 
foreign national.  The penalty for brothel operators or 
owners is temporary imprisonment and the closing down of the 
brothel.  Pimps and clients can be sentenced to a maximum of 
five years imprisonment.  The law has only been partially 
applied. Local police departments raided and closed parlors 
and permanently cancelled the business owners' licenses.  The 
women employees were temporarily detained and then were 
deported.  The owners of the massage parlors, who may or may 
not have been aware of what was going on behind the scenes, 
were not deported or imprisoned; instead they were shamed and 
&instructed8 by the government not to become involved in 
the massage parlor business again. 
 
-- F.  Has the government prosecuted any cases against 
traffickers?  Does the government prosecute labor recruiters 
who use knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers or impose 
inappropriately high or illegal fees.  Does the government 
prosecute employers or labor agents who confiscate workers' 
passports, switch contracts or terms of employment without 
the workers' consent, use physical or sexual abuse or the 
threat of such abuse to keep workers in a state of service? 
 
The government has not reported any prosecutions or 
convictions of traffickers.  Although the Ministry of Labor 
imposed fines on labor agents/recruiters for fraudulent labor 
practices, there were no reports of prosecution or 
convictions for such acts.  Physical and or sexual abuse of 
laborers was prosecuted under the penal code as such, and was 
not differentiated from any other case of either physical or 
sexual abuse.  As noted, on March 1, 2007, the Dubai Attorney 
General referred a case to court for the first time under the 
new anti-trafficking legislation.  The case involves two 
Indian perpetrators, and two Indian children. 
 
The Embassy has requested data regarding prosecutions and 
convictions of trafficking crimes and labor complaints for 
several months preceding this report; the UAEG did not 
respond.  Since the government has provided such data in the 
past--however incomplete--it is not evident that the 
government is unable to provide the requested statistics. 
 
-- G. 
Is there any information or reports of who is behind the 
trafficking?  Are employment, travel, and tourism agencies 
fronting for traffickers or crime groups to traffic 
individuals?  Are government officials involved?  Are there 
any reports of where profits from trafficking in persons are 
being channeled? 
 
IGO, NGO, and media reports, as well as UAEG and source 
country officials, indicate that small, organized crime 
syndicates, almost all of them originating from source 
countries, were behind the great majority of human 
trafficking cases to the UAE.  The vast majority of the 
victims of sex trafficking and their traffickers, are 
believed to come from CIS countries.  A less easily observed, 
but numerically very significant component of the sexual 
exploitation market involves women from Asia/India and Africa 
whose clientele are often from the lower end of the economic 
spectrum.  Most traffickers are believed to be small-time 
criminals with ties to corrupt officials in the home country. 
 
Many women--whether trafficked or not--who come to Dubai for 
prostitution, arrive on work visas.  They hold legitimate 
work visas with small shops, e.g., beauty parlors.  The shop 
owners have legitimate businesses and they also provide 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  013.2 OF 020 
 
 
fronts for women.  The local partner could very well be 
ignorant that the business is being used as a front.  Dubai 
Naturalization and Residency Department (DNRD) has shut down 
businesses that it determined were used as fronts for 
prostitutes or trafficking.  To stem the use of false 
companies sponsoring women specifically for prostitution, all 
new companies are now limited to only five work permit/visas 
until after they establish themselves as legitimate companies 
at which time they can apply for additional visas. 
 
Travel agencies and tour companies appear to be another 
significant means of bringing women to the UAE for 
prostitution.  DNRD has noticed that frequently one or two 
women who travel to the UAE on an organized tour from the CIS 
will not depart the country with the tour.  A DNRD officer 
said that the tour operators are probably unwitting and that 
traffickers and facilitators have determined this to be a 
good method for women to enter the UAE without being noticed 
by UAE immigration officers.  If DNRD,s statistics show that 
specific tour operators or travel agencies are being used 
they take action against them.  The DNRD is now tracking 
businesses and travel agencies more closely to determine if 
they are being used as fronts for traffickers or free-lance 
prostitutes.  There were no reports of where the profits are 
being channeled. 
 
Labor trafficking for either domestic workers or unskilled 
laborers is done primarily through large manpower agencies in 
the source countries including various local representatives 
in the UAE.  There are no reports that indicate that 
government officials are directly involved and there is no 
evidence that indicates where the profits from trafficking 
are being channeled other than in the cases of manpower 
agencies and unskilled laborers. 
 
-- H.  Does the government actively investigate cases of 
trafficking?  Does the government use active investigative 
techniques in trafficking in persons investigations?  To what 
extent are techniques such as electronic surveillance, 
undercover operations, and mitigated punishment or immunity 
for cooperating suspects used by the government?  Does the 
criminal procedure code or other laws prohibit the police 
from engaging in covert operations? 
 
Law enforcement officials reported that they investigated 
cases of trafficking in persons and assisted trafficking 
victims, once cases were brought to their attention. 
However, there is no indication that police regularly used 
proactive law enforcement methods, such as sting operations 
of places known to harbor potential trafficking victims, with 
the exception of underage camel jockeys.  Since July 2005, 
MoI investigators and the Abu Dhabi police anti-infiltration 
unit conducted raids on camel farms to check if underage 
camel jockeys are still being trained and have not been sent 
to the authorities.  Trafficked women themselves are usually 
the ones who approach the police to file complaints or 
request assistance, or claim to have been trafficked when 
arrested by the police and detained for engaging in sexual 
activity. 
 
The recently formed Anti-Trafficking Division, within the 
Dubai Police Criminal Investigation Division, routinely uses 
internationally accepted interview techniques to 
differentiate trafficking victims from those who choose to 
work in illegal activities.  Labor complaints are not 
routinely investigated by police authorities as crimes and 
are instead referred to the Ministry of Labor for resolution. 
 
Electronic surveillance and undercover operations are 
permitted under UAE laws.  Police officials often recommend 
sentence mitigation for cooperating suspects and are not 
prohibited from engaging in covert operations.  However, due 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  014.3 OF 020 
 
 
to restraints on properly trained and experienced law 
enforcement staff, police take more of a reactive role in 
investigating trafficking cases. 
 
-- I.  Does the government provide any specialized training 
for government officials in how to recognize, investigate, 
and prosecute instances of trafficking? 
 
The UAEG has devoted time and resources to sensitizing law 
enforcement and immigration officials on the subject of 
trafficking in persons, as well as practical training 
techniques to protect victims and prevent future trafficking 
incidents.  Abu Dhabi and Dubai police and the Ministries of 
Interior, Health, and Justice have all held anti-TIP training 
courses throughout the year. 
 
The DNRD regularly offered training for arrival and departure 
inspectors in identifying fraudulent documents, often used by 
trafficking victims.  The UAEG also supplied ports of entry 
and source country embassies and consulates with brochures in 
an effort to try to warn off potential trafficking victims, 
as well as to inform victims where they can go to receive 
assistance. 
 
The Ministry of Justice Institute of Judicial Training and 
Studies conducts mandatory classes for prosecutors and judges 
on proper victim care and assistance.  The Institute also 
conducts mandatory specialized classes on the following 
topics: human rights (14 hours); sexual offenses (20 hours); 
offenses against life (20 hours); immigration offenses (20 
hours); juvenile protection and delinquency (30 hours); labor 
violations and offenses (12 hours). 
 
UAEG senior leadership have asked the USG for training 
information and opportunities that would further their 
efforts to combat trafficking in persons, and help law 
enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges to better 
identify, investigate, and prosecute trafficking in persons 
cases. 
 
-- J.  Does the government cooperate with other governments 
in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases? 
 
UAEG officials stated, and several source country embassies 
and consulates confirmed, that they cooperated to 
investigate, care for, and repatriate trafficking victims, 
and prevent future trafficking incidents.  Officials, 
primarily in law enforcement, reported that they also worked 
with NGOs and IGOs on trafficking issues when cases were 
brought to their attention. 
 
MoI officials have indicated that they continue to work on 
developing new channels with source country governments to 
exchange information on organized crime, including 
trafficking in persons. 
 
-- K.  Does the government extradite persons who are charged 
with trafficking in other countries?  Does the government 
extradite its own nationals charged with such offenses? 
 
The UAEG has extradition treaties with India, Sri Lanka, 
Armenia, Canada (for drugs and money-laundering charges), 
China, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, 
Somalia, Jordan and Egypt.  In the past, the UAE has agreed 
to extradite cases to and from countries with which the UAEG 
does not have extradition treaties, but in practice has often 
failed to do so.  UAEG extradition of a UAE citizen to 
another country is highly unlikely absent extremely 
extenuating circumstances.  For example, there was reportedly 
a clause in the UAE-India extradition treaty, included at the 
UAEG's request, wherein both nations agreed not to extradite 
their own nationals to the other country. 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  015.3 OF 020 
 
 
 
The UAEG also has mutual legal assistance treaties (MLAT) in 
criminal matters with a number of countries.  In some cases, 
mutual legal assistance was exchanged with countries with 
which the UAEG did not have an MLAT. 
 
-- L.  Is there evidence of government involvement in or 
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? 
 
Although there were no verified reports that government 
officials were involved in trafficking, there is little doubt 
that high-level officials in Dubai and other emirates have at 
minimum turned a blind-eye to the problem.  Police take 
action against prostitution only when evidence for it is 
incontrovertible, and are under instruction to err on the 
side of caution if there is any chance a sexual encounter 
could be other than commercial in nature.  NGO, IGO, source 
country and internet sources alleged that some lower-level 
officials may look the other way as traffickers bring their 
victims into the country.  In one case in 2005, approximately 
30 Chinese women working in massage parlors in Ras al-Khaimah 
were arrested and deported for prostitution.  The massage 
parlors were shut down.  The women had traveled on visitor 
visas.  It is inconceivable that the women from China could 
find their way to Ras al-Khaimah without assistance, 
suggesting that Chinese traffickers must have been involved; 
it seems equally unlikely that the flow of female Chinese 
"visitors" could have escaped the notice of government 
officials entirely prior to the arrests being made.  NGO 
officials and human rights observers questioned the sincerity 
of UAEG officials' political will to combat human trafficking 
in light of the long-term lack of appreciable progress on the 
issue and the importance of both foreign labor and 
prostitution to the economy. 
 
-- M.  If government officials are involved in trafficking, 
what steps has the government taken to end such participation? 
 
There have been no credible or verifiable cases reported of 
government officials directly involved in trafficking.  Based 
on previous cases of investigation and prosecution of 
government officials for criminal offenses, it is expected 
that the UAEG would investigate and prosecute government 
officials suspected of trafficking or trafficking-related 
corruption. 
 
-- N.  If the country has an identified child sex tourism 
problem (source or destination) how many foreign pedophiles 
has the government prosecuted, deported/extradited to their 
country of origin?  Do the country's child sexual abuse laws 
have extraterritorial coverage? 
 
Although there have been a number of media, source country, 
NGO and IGO reports that some teenage girls, almost all of 
whom are trafficking victims, work as prostitutes in the UAE, 
there have been no reliable reports of the UAE being a child 
sex tourism destination.  There have been no reports of 
foreign pedophiles being prosecuted, deported or extradited 
to their countries of origin.  Child sexual abuse has 
extraterritorial coverage only if either the victim or the 
perpetrator are UAE citizens, and can be prosecuted once the 
perpetrator returns to the UAE. 
 
-- O.  Has the government signed, ratified, or taken steps to 
implement the following international instruments? 
 
a).  ILO Convention 182 Concerning the Prohibition and 
Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor:  The UAEG ratified ILO Convention 182 Concerning 
Worst Forms of Child Labor on 28 June 2001. 
 
b).  ILO Conventions 29 and 105 on Forced or Compulsory 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  016.2 OF 020 
 
 
Labor:  The UAEG ratified ILO Convention 29 Concerning Forced 
Labor on 27 May 1982, and the UAEG ratified ILO Convention 
105 Concerning Abolition of Forced Labor on 24 February 1997. 
 
c).  Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the 
Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child 
Pornography:  The UAEG ratified the UN Convention on the 
Rights of the Child on 3 January 1997, but has not ratified 
its supplemental Option Protocol on the Sale of Children, 
Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography. 
 
d).  The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking 
in Persons, especially Women and Children, Supplementing the 
UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime:  The UAE 
acceded to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized 
Crime in December 2002.  Justice Ministry officials have 
reported for more than a year that the UAE is reviewing and 
will likely sign the following supplemental protocols soon: 
(1) the Supplemental Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish 
Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; and 
(2) the Supplemental Protocol Against the Smuggling of 
Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. 
 
e).  Other Instruments:  The UAEG has also ratified or 
acceded to the following international instruments that help 
directly or indirectly guard against trafficking in persons. 
 
--UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms 
of Racial Discrimination (acceded 20 June 1974). 
 
--Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (ratified October 2004) 
 
--Convention Against Slavery (ratification date unknown). 
 
--ILO Convention 1 Concerning Hours of Work for Industry 
(ratified 27 May 1982). 
 
--ILO Convention 81 Concerning Labor Inspection (ratified 27 
May 1982). 
 
--ILO Revised Convention 89 Concerning Night Work for Women 
(ratified 27 May 1982). 
 
--ILO Convention 100 Concerning Equal Remuneration (ratified 
24 February 1997). 
 
--ILO Convention 111 Concerning Discrimination in Employment 
and Occupation (ratified 28 June 2001). 
 
--ILO Convention 138 Concerning Minimum Age for Employment 
(ratified 2 October 1998). 
 
------------------------------------ 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The following responses are keyed to reftel 
paragraph No. 30. 
 
-- A.  Does the government assist victims?  Does the 
government have victim care and victim health care facilities? 
 
The Government provides assistance and protection to victims, 
including victims of trafficking in persons. Counseling 
services are available in public hospitals.  In 2005, the 
government established a Social Support Center located 
outside Abu Dhabi, for under age camel jockeys awaiting 
repatriation, and signed an agreement with UNICEF to 
coordinate the care and reintegration of the victims in their 
home countries.  On Dec. 17, 2006, the UAEG expanded the 
UAE-UNICEF partnership to provide health care, education, and 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  017 OF 020 
 
 
social services in the source countries to all children who 
had worked in the UAE in the camel racing 
industry--regardless of their status or location at the time 
the jockey-ban was passed in 2005.  This expansion was funded 
with an allocation of $9 million (30 million dirham) and 
extended services contracted through UNICEF through May 2009. 
 
 
In Abu Dhabi emirate, victims of trafficking and/or abuse are 
cared for in social support centers where they are provided 
comprehensive physical and psycho-social services.  The 
government reports only a handful of trafficking 
victims--other than former camel jockeys--have received 
assistance at these centers.  In Sharjah emirate, the Higher 
Family Council provides equivalent services to victims.  In 
Dubai, the Dubai Police Human Rights Care Department, Victim 
Assistance Unit, provides counseling, medical care, financial 
assistance, assistance in acquiring travel documents, and 
travel assistance home for trafficking victims.  The 
Anti-Trafficking Section of Dubai Police CID houses 
trafficking victims in hotels instead of a shelter, but has 
announced that a dedicated shelter is also under 
construction.  The UAE does not grant temporary or permanent 
residency status to victims, nor does it relieve victims, 
especially trafficked women, from being deported. 
 
UAE Code of Criminal Procedures Articles 14 and 22 provide 
legal assistance for victims. 
 
Each Dubai police station is staffed with a human rights care 
officer and a social worker/counselor from the Dubai Police 
Human Rights Care Department. 
 
In 2002, the Dubai Police Human Rights Care Department 
developed a Crime Victims' Assistance Program, which includes 
the creation of Victim Assistance Coordinators and police 
training in victim protection and assistance.  In March 2003, 
Victim Assistance Coordinators were assigned to police 
stations.  Victim Assistance Coordinators' responsibilities 
include advising victims about the criminal justice system 
and criminal procedure; encouraging witness testimony, 
especially in cases like sexual abuse and trafficking in 
persons where victims are reluctant to speak out; advising 
victims of their rights; providing counseling and medical 
care; placement in a hotel or shelter; and follow-up with 
victims as the case proceeds to trial. 
 
Post does not have statistics indicating how many victims 
used any of the above services over the reporting year. 
 
The Government permits a number of shelters for abused and/or 
trafficked domestic workers to operate in the country.  The 
Embassies of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia all 
sponsor such shelters.  Additionally, one NGO-sponsored 
women's shelter in Dubai, has received tacit approval from 
the Government, and regularly receives referrals along with 
accompanying financing from the Dubai Police Department. 
 
-- B.  Does the government provide funding or other forms of 
support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to victims? 
 
The Government provides funding for most or all recognized 
local NGOs, and works with foreign NGOs to provide assistance 
to trafficking victims.  Government authorities regularly 
worked with source country NGOs to assist in the humane 
repatriation of victims to their home countries.  Beginning 
in November 2004, UAEG authorities worked with Pakistani 
human rights activist and NGO director Ansar Burney to help 
rescue, care for, and repatriate child camel jockeys.  In 
2005, the government contracted with UNICEF to provide its 
expertise as it established social support centers to 
provided counseling, care, and repatriation services for any 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  018 OF 020 
 
 
child (and their families) identified as a victim of 
trafficking for use in the camel racing industry.  A fund of 
$2 million was originally established for these purposes, the 
fund was increased by another $9 million in 2006 in order to 
extend services through 2009 and broaden the scope of 
potential aid recipients. 
 
-- C.  Do the government's law enforcement and social 
services personnel have a formal system of identifying 
victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they 
come in contact?  Is there a referral process in place, when 
appropriate, to transfer victims detained, arrested, or 
placed in protective custody by law enforcement authorities 
to NGOs that provide either long or short-term care? 
 
Immigration authorities claim to have screening criteria in 
place to help identify victims prior to their entry into the 
UAE.  These measures are primarily designed to screen for sex 
workers.  Immigration authorities also monitor and screen for 
valid family relationships for both women and children 
arriving at international airports.  Children are usually 
required to be accompanied by parents or immediate family 
members, and single women under the age of twenty-five are 
often expected to be accompanied by an adult male family 
member.  Dubai Police report that they have a screening 
process in place for victims who come to the HRCD.  Women who 
claim they are victims of sex trafficking and are willing to 
cooperate with the police are housed in hotels at police 
expense until after the trial(s) of the trafficker(s) are 
complete.  They are under police protection while they remain 
in Dubai.  There are no apparent formal mechanisms to 
identify women who are trafficked as domestic workers or men 
as bonded laborers at the point of entry or at police 
stations. 
 
-- D.  Are the rights of victims respected, or are victims 
also treated as criminals?  Are victims detained, jailed, or 
deported?  Are victims prosecuted for violations of other 
laws, such as those governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
Rights of victims are generally respected, once and if they 
are identified as victims.  There were NGO, IGO, and source 
country reports, however, of cases where victims were never 
identified as such, and were treated as criminals. 
Individuals identified as victims receive assistance, 
including medical care and counseling, and those who agree to 
testify against their traffickers are afforded housing, 
employment opportunities, and any other care required. 
However, police reported that in most cases, victims choose 
to be immediately repatriated to their home countries rather 
than stand up to their traffickers.  In cases where the 
victims chose to testify, Dubai Police report that the 
victims were prosecuted.  After the trial the Dubai police 
also paid for their repatriation. 
 
Dubai police will not waive prosecution for women who might 
become victims of trafficking after entering the UAE on their 
own volition for prostitution.  The police position appears 
to be that if a person entered the country for prostitution 
and violated the immigration laws, why should prosecution be 
waived only because they were victimized after a year or two 
in country?  Dubai Police officials stated that they believe 
that women often claim to be trafficking victims as a means 
of avoiding prosecution for breaking the law. 
 
-- E.  Does the government encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?  Does anyone 
impede victims' access to legal redress? 
 
Law enforcement officials report that they advise victims of 
their rights and encourage witness testimony, especially in 
cases of sexual abuse and trafficking in persons, where 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  019 OF 020 
 
 
victims may be reluctant to speak out.  Police will assist 
victims who choose to stay in the UAE during court 
proceedings with locating appropriate housing and temporary 
employment opportunities. 
 
Before or during a criminal trial, a victim may claim 
financial compensation, or "diya," which can be granted as 
part of a defendant's sentence.  Victims may also file civil 
suits for damages. 
 
Foreign diplomats indicate that victims have been permitted 
to give sworn testimony and leave the country before judgment 
was rendered.  The Dubai Police HRCD in coordination with CID 
attempts to get women who they believe are victims of 
trafficking to assist in investigations and prosecutions.  As 
stated earlier, in Dubai, victims are housed in hotels, not 
prosecuted, and returned home at government expense if they 
participate in the prosecution of the traffickers. 
 
Victims of labor trafficking are referred to the Ministry of 
Labor to file a complaint through formal labor resolution 
channels; this does not apply to domestic workers who are not 
covered under the labor law.  Domestic workers may file 
criminal complaints for abuse, or may seek Ministry of 
Interior assistance in changing sponsors.  Source country 
labor attaches reported that domestic workers seldom filed 
civil cases against abusers, and were content to simply 
change sponsors or return home.  There were no reports of 
victims having their access to the courts blocked or 
discouraged by government officials. 
 
-- F.  What kind of protection is the government able to 
provide for victims and witnesses?  Does it provide these 
protections in practice?  What type of shelter services does 
the government provide? 
 
The government is able to provide protections for victims and 
witnesses, and does provide these protections in practice to 
those it identifies as trafficking victims. 
 
UAE Code of Criminal Procedures Articles 14 and 22 provide 
for legal assistance for victims. 
Authorities have worked with NGOs and source country 
embassies and consulates to provide shelter for trafficking 
victims.  Police departments claim to provide shelter 
facilities for victims separate and apart from jail 
facilities, and have also arranged for shelter in hotels. The 
UAEG does not operate a safe house system.  Post is not aware 
of how much money the UAEG spent on sheltering victims over 
the reporting year. 
 
-- G.  Does the government provide any specialized training 
for government officials in recognizing trafficking and in 
the provision of assistance to trafficked victims?  Does the 
government provide training on protection and assistance to 
its embassies and consulates in foreign countries that are 
destination or transit countries? 
 
The UAEG has implemented programs to sensitize law 
enforcement and immigration officials on the subject of 
trafficking in persons, as well as practical training 
techniques to protect victims and prevent future trafficking 
incidents.  Abu Dhabi and Dubai police and the Ministries of 
Interior, Health, and Justice have all held anti-TIP training 
courses throughout the year. 
 
The Ministry of Justice Institute of Judicial Training and 
Studies conducts mandatory classes for prosecutors and judges 
on proper victim care and assistance.  The Institute also 
conducts mandatory specialized classes on the following 
topics: human rights (14 hours); sexual offenses (20 hours); 
offenses against life (20 hours); immigration offenses (20 
 
ABU DHABI 00000368  020 OF 020 
 
 
hours); juvenile protection and delinquency (30 hours); labor 
violations and offenses (12 hours). 
 
The UAEG senior leadership repeatedly asked the USG for 
training information and opportunities that would further 
their efforts to combat trafficking in persons, and help law 
enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges to better 
identify, investigate and prosecute trafficking in persons 
cases. 
 
Post is unaware of any specific UAEG-provided training on 
protection and assistance for staff members located in source 
countries.  In discussions with the Dubai Police HRCD 
concerning training, the Dubai Police said that there was no 
appropriate training for officers in HRCD concerning 
trafficking.  The police asked if the USG could provide 
training, and seemed genuinely eager for such training.  DNRD 
and police in Dubai and other emirates have said that they 
are trying to pressure states in Central Asia to interdict 
women, trafficked or not, who are traveling to the UAE for 
prostitution.  Dubai police officers have asked if the USG 
could also pressure the countries. 
 
-- H.  Does the government provide assistance, such as 
medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated 
nationals who are victims of trafficking? 
 
There were no reports of UAE nationals being trafficked 
outside of, or within the UAE.  Considering the UAEG's record 
of numerous services provided to citizens at little to no 
cost, it is expected that the UAEG would provide generous 
assistance to repatriated UAE nationals who were victims of 
trafficking, if such a situation were to occur. 
 
-- I.  Which international organizations or NGOs work with 
trafficking victims? 
 
The Government cooperates and coordinates with NGOs and IGOs 
in providing assistance to trafficking victims, as cases come 
to their attention.  Some examples are the UNICEF, 
Pakistan-based Ansar Burney International Welfare Trust, the 
Bangladesh National Women's Lawyers Association, the IOM, The 
Protection Project, and others including small source country 
NGOs. 
 
------------------------- 
OMB Reporting Requirement 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) OMB Reporting Requirements: One FS-03 officer spent 
approximately 100 hours preparing for and writing the report. 
One FS-03 officer spent approximately 3 hours reviewing and 
clearing the report.  One FS-01 officer spent approximately 
two hours reviewing and clearing the report.  One FE-OC 
officer spent approximately 2 reviewing and clearing the 
report.  One FE-MC officer spent 1 hour reviewing and 
approving the report. 
SISON