VZCZCXRO9403
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHHM RUEHJO
DE RUEHDO #0260/01 0670925
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080925Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6314
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHXI/LABOR COLLECTIVE
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0090
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0004
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0055
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0142
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0150
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0023
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0453
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0139
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0004

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 DOHA 000260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, NEA/ARPI, NEA/RA, 
USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF ELAB QA
SUBJECT: QATAR: INPUT FOR THE SEVENTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN 
PERSONS (TIP) REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 06 202745 
 
DOHA 00000260  001.2 OF 014 
 
 
¶1. (U) The following is post's input for the seventh annual 
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Report. Answers are keyed to 
reftel questions. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Paragraph 27. Overview of a country's activities to 
eliminate trafficking in persons: 
 
¶A. (SBU) Is the country a country of origin, transit, or 
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or 
children? 
 
- Qatar is a country of destination and transit for 
internationally trafficked men and women. 
 
Provide, where possible, numbers or estimates for each group; 
how they were trafficked, to where, and for what purpose. 
 
- There are no firm estimates of the total numbers of men and 
women trafficked into the country; most came willingly to 
work as laborers and domestic workers. 
 
Does the trafficking occur within the country's borders? 
 
- Yes, and in some cases, across borders. 
 
Does it occur in territory outside of the government's 
control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? 
 
- N/A. 
 
Are any estimates or reliable numbers available as to the 
extent or magnitude of the problem? 
 
- Thousands. 
 
What is (are) the source(s) of available information on 
trafficking in persons or what plans are in place (if any) to 
undertake documentation of trafficking? 
 
- Sources of information on trafficking in persons include 
other diplomatic missions, government officials, commercial 
contacts, international organizations, local and regional 
media, and contacts at quasi-independent NGOs. 
 
How reliable are the numbers and these sources? 
 
- While the reliability of sources cannot always be 
ascertained, cross-referencing information among various 
sources helps to promote accuracy in information gathering. 
 
Are certain groups of persons more at risk of being 
trafficked (e.g. women and children, boys versus girls, 
certain ethnic groups, refugees, etc.)? 
 
- Foreign laborers, mostly male, and domestic workers, male 
and female, are most at risk of being trafficked. 
 
¶B. (SBU) Please provide a general overview of the trafficking 
situation in the country and any changes since the last TIP 
Report (e.g. changes in direction). 
 
- Since the last TIP Report, there has been marked progress 
in government efforts to address trafficking in persons, 
although not all the progress has been quantifiable. The 
government has acknowledged that trafficking within the 
expatriate labor sector is a problem and is drafting 
legislation to combat it. A comprehensive anti-trafficking 
law, when enacted, would address prosecution, protection, 
prevention, and compensation. A new sponsorship law that is 
currently being circulated within the government purportedly 
would give more rights to expatriate workers and more 
responsibility to sponsors. The National Human Rights 
Committee (a quasi-governmental organization) has concluded 
that the largest hindrance to criminalizing TIP violations is 
ignorance of the current law by all parties. To combat this, 
 
DOHA 00000260  002.2 OF 014 
 
 
the committee has organized a series of workshops for 
lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and law educators that will 
highlight TIP and the existing Qatari laws to combat it. The 
workshops begin in March 2007. It hopes as an outcome to 
enable victims to bring criminal charges against the 
traffickers and to have the criminal court be able to fairly 
adjudicate those cases according to the criminal law. 
 
- Current legislation guiding the sponsorship of expatriate 
laborers and domestic workers has created conditions that in 
many cases lead to situations constituting forced labor or 
slavery. Expatriate laborers are not allowed to leave the 
country without a signed exit permit or to change employment 
without a written release from their sponsor. The sponsors 
have also been known to withhold the passports of the 
workers. The dependence of foreign laborers on their employer 
for residency rights, plus the inability to change employment 
or travel, leaves them vulnerable to abuse. Some sponsors 
have used this power against their workers. They have 
withheld their consent to force foreign employees to work for 
longer periods to avoid having to pay a salary owed to the 
worker and to extract money from the laborer. Many workers 
ended up in Qatar's Deportation Detention Center due to their 
employer's refusing to pay back wages, withholding their 
passports, or failing to renew their work visas. Nepalese 
officials reported 
that as many as 1000 Nepalese workers have been held at the 
same time at the Deportation Detention Center during the year 
and many have been awaiting repatriation for several months. 
Law enforcement officials apprehended many of the workers 
because they had expired work visas that are supposed to be 
renewed by the sponsor. 
 
- The country also was a destination for women from East 
Asia, South Asia, and Africa who come to the country to work 
as domestic servants. Some report that they have been forced 
into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. During the 
year, the embassies of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri 
Lanka received a combined total of more than 3400 complaints 
from male and female workers; more than 900 from housemaids 
alleging mistreatment by their employers. The Nepalese 
Embassy reported that they received between 14-20 complaints 
per day. Complaints included sexual harassment, delayed and 
non-payment of salaries, forced labor, contract switching, 
holding of passports, poor accommodation, non-repatriation, 
physical torture or torment, overwork, imprisonment, and 
maltreatment. Abused domestic servants usually did not press 
charges for fear of losing their jobs. According to 
Indonesian officials, 30 to 50 Indonesian housemaids ran away 
from their sponsors each month during the year. 
 
- The Nepalese Embassy reported that an unknown number ("no 
less than 20") of residents had been recruited for positions 
as domestic workers (house boys) in Qatar and after arrival, 
were trafficked into Saudi Arabia to serve as farm laborers. 
The workers were held incommunicado in Saudi Arabia for 
periods of more than one year. 
 
- Regarding the former child camel jockey problem, an 
interagency committee was formed by the government to ensure 
the implementation of the law banning the use of children as 
camel jockeys. The committee conducted several visits to the 
camel racing tracks in 2006 and found no violations. 
 
Also briefly explain the political will to address 
trafficking in persons. 
 
- Although there is political will to address trafficking in 
persons, that will is constrained by pressures from the 
business community not to amend sponsorship regulations. 
 
Other items to address may include:  What kind of conditions 
are the victims trafficked into? 
 
- Trafficking victims often have to endure poor 
accommodations and have extremely limited freedom of 
movement. Many live in fear of arrest, detention and/or 
 
DOHA 00000260  003.2 OF 014 
 
 
deportation if they fail to remain in service of their 
employers. 
 
Which populations are targeted by the traffickers? 
 
- South- and East-Asian domestic workers and laborers in 
countries with generally high unemployment rates and low 
standards of living are primary targets for traffickers. 
 
Who are the traffickers? 
 
- Exporting and domestic recruiting agencies and Qatari 
sponsors. 
 
What methods are used to approach victims? (Are they offered 
lucrative jobs, sold by their families, approached by friends 
of friends, etc.?) 
 
Victims are often offered fair wages and benefits for work in 
Qatar by source country recruiting agencies. 
 
What methods are used to move the victims (e.g., are false 
documents being used?). 
 
- Most often victims arrive willingly with valid travel 
documents, usually having paid a large fee to a labor agency 
in the sending country. 
 
¶C. (SBU) What are the limitations on the government's ability 
to address this problem in practice? 
 
- There are cultural and socio-economic limitations in 
addressing this problem in practice. 
 
For example, is funding for police or other institutions 
inadequate? 
 
- Funding is not a problem. 
 
Is overall corruption a problem? 
 
- Overall corruption is not a problem in this area. 
 
Does the government lack the resources to aid victims? 
 
- No, but employment of resources is a problem. 
 
¶D. (SBU) To what extent does the government systematically 
monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts -- 
prosecution, prevention and victim protection) and 
periodically make available, publicly or privately and 
directly or through regional/international organizations, its 
assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
- Although the government has identified various agencies to 
implement anti-trafficking reforms, it does not effectively 
monitor its anti-trafficking efforts. When requested, the 
government does make available its assessments of its 
anti-trafficking efforts to the requesting organization. 
 
¶3. (U) Paragraph 28. PREVENTION. 
 
¶A. (SBU) Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is 
a problem in the country?  If not, why not? 
 
- The government has an uneven record in acknowledging TIP. 
Most stakeholders admit that child labor, some trafficking of 
female domestic workers, and limited trafficking for sexual 
exploitation occur, but few acknowledge the problems 
experienced by laborers as potential trafficking issues. 
Officials often characterize situations of exploitation or 
coerced labor as labor disputes falling under the purview of 
the labor law. This perception seems to be slowly changing 
among government stakeholders, however. 
 
¶B. (SBU) Which government agencies are involved in 
anti-traficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the 
 
DOHA 00000260  004.2 OF 014 
 
 
lead? 
 
- Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of 
Interior, Ministry of Civil Service and Housing (Labor 
Department), Supreme Judicial Council, General Health 
Authority, General Prosecution, National Human Rights 
Committee, the Qatar Foundation for Women and Children 
Protection and the Supreme Council for Family Affairs are all 
involved in anti-trafficking efforts. As of February 2007, 
the Supreme Council for Family Affairs has the lead in 
anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
¶C. (SBU) Are there, or have there been, government-run 
anti-trafficking information or education campaigns? 
 
- Yes. 
 
If so, briefly describe the campaign(s), including their 
objectives and effectiveness. 
 
- The National Office for Combating TIP continued to carry 
out its media action plan. Activities have included the 
publication and distribution of informational brochures in 
several targeted languages, distribution of posters in 
different languages, radio and TV interviews in local and 
regional media outlets, TV and radio commercials, and a media 
campaign entitled "No to Trafficking." While the focus has 
been primarily on women and children, the plight of abused 
and forced labor was also addressed. 
 
- The Office has directed educational institutes and training 
centers in Qatar to include the concept of TIP, its reasons 
and its negative effects on society in their curriculum. The 
TIP National Coordinator developed a curriculum on TIP in 
cooperation with the legal expert at the Human Rights Office 
of the Ministry of the Interior to be taught at the Supreme 
Judicial Council and Ministry of Interior. 
 
- During the Doha Asian Games in December, the Office also 
distributed TIP posters at the Athlete's Village and flyers 
were inserted into all local newspapers distributed at the 
village. 
 
- In May, the Office coordinated special sermons for Friday 
prayers by Imams in the mosques for a period of six weeks to 
urge people to treat their servants and employees well and 
observe their rights. 
 
- The TIP Office increased government classification of TIP 
to include migrant laborers who fall victim to deception and 
fraud and who are forced to work in illegal jobs, whether 
with or without payment. To combat this, a circular was 
distributed to all concerned departments in the Ministry of 
Interior and other concerned ministries to abide by this 
definition and to apply it when identifying TIP crimes or 
investigating TIP victims. 
 
Do these campaigns target potential trafficking victims 
and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g. "clients" of 
prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor)? 
 
- The TIP Office held the first of a series of forums with 
labor recruitment agencies in September. It was attended by 
representatives of 42 labor agencies in the presence of 
representatives from the Labor Department and the Research 
and Follow-up Department of the Ministry of Interior. It 
focused on delivering TIP awareness to the labor agencies and 
making recommendations to authorities concerned with 
anti-trafficking. 
 
¶D. (SBU) Does the government support other programs to 
prevent trafficking? (e.g., to promote women's participation 
in economic decision-making or efforts to keep children in 
school.)  Please explain. 
 
- None specifically identified to combat TIP. 
 
 
DOHA 00000260  005.2 OF 014 
 
 
¶E. (SBU) What is the relationship between government 
officials, NGOs, other relevant organizations and other 
elements of civil society on the trafficking issue? 
 
- The government is cooperating with quasi-independent 
organizations such as the National Human Rights Committee and 
the Qatar Foundation for Women and Children Protection on 
anti-trafficking efforts. There are no independent civil 
society or non-governmental organizations (national or 
international) active in anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
¶F. (SBU) Does the government monitor immigration and 
emigration patterns for evidence of trafficking? 
 
- It monitors immigration and emigration patterns for 
evidence of trafficking. It previously strengthened visa 
regulations as a result of shifts in immigration patterns 
showing evidence of probable prostitution-related activities. 
 
Do law enforcement agencies screen for potential trafficking 
victims along borders? 
 
- The government monitors its land border but is not able to 
comprehensively monitor its extensive shoreline. Neither, 
however, are believed to be major entry points for trafficked 
persons. Prior to and during the Doha Asian Games in 
December, immigration officers at the Doha International 
Airport were sensitized to the possibility of an increase in 
the entry of females for the purpose of prostitution. There 
were no reported arrests or incidents. 
 
¶G. (SBU) Is there a mechanism for coordination and 
communication between various agencies, internal, 
international, and multilateral on trafficking-related 
matters, such as a multi-agency working group or a task 
force? 
 
- Human rights offices have been established at the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior to address 
TIP issues. The Supreme Council for Family Affairs is 
currently the lead organization for coordination and 
communication between various internal agencies. 
 
Does the government have a trafficking in persons working 
group or single point of contact? 
 
- The government has a National TIP Coordinator under the 
Supreme Council for Family Affairs. 
 
Does the government have a public corruption task force? 
 
- There are no known special bodies in Qatar charged with 
fighting corruption, but in 2003 the government launched a 
campaign against corruption in high places. Qatar ratified 
the United Nations Convention against Corruption on January 
30, 2007. 
 
¶H. (SBU) Does the government have a national plan of action 
to address trafficking in persons? 
 
- The government has a national plan of action to address 
trafficking in persons. The plan specifies victims of TIP 
among: child camel jockeys; women exposed to sexual 
exploitation; and incoming workers. 
 
If so, which agencies were involved in developing it? 
 
- Representatives from the Supreme Council for Family 
Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Supreme Judicial 
Council, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Civil Service and 
Housing (Labor Department), General Prosecutor, General 
Health Authority, and the Qatar Foundation for Women and 
Children Protection were involved in developing the plan of 
action. 
 
Were NGOs consulted in the process? 
 
 
DOHA 00000260  006.2 OF 014 
 
 
- Representatives from the National Human Rights Committee, a 
quasi-independent human rights organization, were involved in 
this process as well. 
 
What steps has the government taken to disseminate the action 
plan? 
 
- The government has not publicly disseminated the action 
plan. 
 
¶4. (U) Paragraph 29. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF 
TRAFFICKERS. 
 
¶A. (SBU) Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting 
trafficking in persons--both for sexual and non-sexual 
purposes (e.g. forced labor)? 
 
- Qatar does not have a law specifically prohibiting all 
forms of trafficking in persons. The Government of Qatar has 
drafted, but not passed, amendments to its sponsorship 
regulations intended to protect the rights of foreign 
workers. The Qatari government has also drafted an 
anti-trafficking law that is being circulated to relevant 
agencies for comment. It is unclear when the laws will be 
enacted. The director of the Supreme Council for Family 
Affairs also noted that a new law specifically addressing 
domestic workers is also being drafted; however, domestic 
workers remain unprotected by general labor laws. 
 
If so, please specifically cite the name of the law and its 
date of enactment. 
 
- On July 28, 2005, Law No. 22, banning the transport, 
employment, training, and involvement of children under the 
age of eighteen in camel races, came into force.  According 
to Article 4, anyone who violates the law faces three to ten 
years' imprisonment and a fine ranging between $13,000 and 
$55,000. 
 
Does the law(s) cover both internal and external 
(transnational) forms of trafficking? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
If not, under what other laws can traffickers be prosecuted? 
For example, are there laws against slavery or the 
exploitation of prostitution by means of force, fraud or 
coercion? 
 
- Traffickers can be prosecuted under Article 321 (slavery) 
or Article 322 (forced labor) of the Criminal Law of 2004, 
which bans forced or coerced labor. The penalty for Article 
321 is imprisonment of no more than seven years and the 
penalty for Article 322 is imprisonment of no more than six 
months and/or a fine of no more than QR 3,000 (USD 825). If 
the victim is under 16, the penalty is imprisonment of no 
more than six years and/or a find of no more than QR 10,000 
(USD 2,750). 
 
- Articles 318-319 of the Criminal Law address crimes that 
violate human liberty and sanctity (kidnapping). 
Specifically, Article 318 prohibits the abduction, seizure or 
deprivation of an individual's liberty. The penalty for 
crimes that violate human liberty and sanctity is 
imprisonment of not more than ten years. 
 
- In 2002, the government also passed a money laundering law 
(Article 2) that specifically defines as a money laundering 
crime the handling of money related to trafficking of women 
and children. Although the new labor law enacted in January 
2005 expands some worker rights, the new law does not extend 
to domestic workers. 
 
- Article 297 of the Criminal Law outlaws forced 
prostitution. The penalty is no more than 15 years 
imprisonment. 
 
 
DOHA 00000260  007.2 OF 014 
 
 
Are these other laws being used in trafficking cases? 
 
- These laws are not being used to prosecute trafficking 
cases. 
 
Are these laws, taken together, adequate to cover the full 
scope of trafficking in persons? 
 
- If fully implemented and enforced, current laws would be 
adequate to cover the full scope of trafficking-in-persons. 
 
Please provide a full inventory of trafficking laws, 
including non-criminal statutes that allow for civil 
penalties against alleged trafficking crimes, (e.g., civil 
forfeiture laws and laws against illegal debt.) 
 
- There are no specific trafficking laws. The labor law 
(which does not apply to domestic workers) allows the alleged 
victim to bring his case to the labor court (a civil court) 
to attempt to retrieve actual losses (dues owed), but there 
are not additional remedies available (i.e., restitution). 
 
¶B. (SBU) What are the penalties for trafficking people for 
sexual exploitation? 
 
- Facilitating prostitution (pimping) is punishable by 
imprisonment of not more than ten years. 
 
¶C. (SBU) Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses: 
 
What are the prescribed and imposed penalties for trafficking 
for labor exploitation, such as forced or bonded labor and 
involuntary servitude? 
 
- Abduction for the purpose of forced labor is punishable by 
imprisonment of not more than seven years. Forced labor is 
punishable by imprisonment of not more than six months and a 
fine not to exceed $825, or both. 
 
Do the government's laws provide for criminal punishment i.e. 
jail time for labor recruiters in labor source countries who 
engage in recruitment of laborers using knowingly fraudulent 
or deceptive offers that result in workers being exploited in 
the destination country? 
 
- Qatar is not a labor source country. 
 
For employers or labor agents in labor destination countries 
who confiscate workers' passports or travel documents, switch 
contracts without the worker's consent as a means to keep the 
worker in a state of service, or withhold payment of salaries 
as means of keeping the worker in a state of service? 
 
- Withholding payment may be punishable by imprisonment of no 
more than six months and/or a fine of no more than QR 3,000 
(USD 825). If the victim is under 16 years of age, the 
punishment is imprisonment of no more than six years and/or a 
fine of QR 10,000 (USD 2,750). 
 
If law(s) prescribe criminal punishments for these offenses, 
what are the actual punishments imposed on persons convicted 
of these offenses? 
 
- There are no known convictions of these offenses. 
 
¶D. (SBU) What are the prescribed penalties for rape or 
forcible sexual assault? 
 
- The penalty for rape or forcible sexual assault is 
imprisonment. The penalty for sexual exploitation is 
imprisonment and carries with it a minimum sentence of five 
years and a maximum of fifteen years. Cases involving 
children carry an automatic fifteen-year sentence. 
 
How do they compare to the prescribed and imposed penalties 
for crimes of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation? 
 
 
DOHA 00000260  008.2 OF 014 
 
 
- There are no specific trafficking laws. 
 
¶E. (SBU) Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized? 
 
- No. 
 
Specifically, are the activities of the prostitute 
criminalized? 
 
- Yes, but women suspected of prostitution are often 
summarily deported rather than prosecuted under the law. 
 
Are the activities of the brothel owner/operator, clients, 
pimps, and enforcers criminalized? 
 
- Rarely. 
 
Are these laws enforced? 
 
- Rarely. 
 
If prostitution is legal and regulated, what is the legal 
minimum age for this activity? 
 
- N/A. 
 
¶F. (SBU) Has the government prosecuted any cases against 
traffickers? 
 
- Although there are no laws specifically criminalizing TIP, 
existing criminal law has been sparingly used. 
 
If so, provide numbers of investigations, prosecutions, 
convictions, and sentences, including details on plea 
bargains and fines, if relevant and available. 
 
- There were two convictions and 24 prosecutions for what the 
TIP Office described as TIP-related crimes during the year. 
 
- Two Qataris were sentenced to five-year prison terms for 
gross physical abuse of their Indonesian maid. The maid had 
been systematically subjected to slave-like conditions prior 
to being beaten into a comatose state. 
 
- Twenty-four individuals are currently being prosecuted for 
prostitution and facilitating prostitution. 
 
Does the government in a labor source country criminally 
prosecute labor recruiters who recruit laborers using 
knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers or impose on 
recruited laborers inappropriately high or illegal fees or 
commissions that create a debt bondage condition for the 
laborer? 
 
- Qatar is not a labor source country. 
 
Does the government in a labor destination country criminally 
prosecute employers or labor agents who confiscate workers' 
passports/travel documents, switch contracts or terms of 
employment without the worker's consent, use physical or 
sexual abuse or the threat of such abuse to keep workers in a 
state of service, or withhold payment of salaries as a means 
to keep workers in a state of service? 
 
- Generally no. Employers who confiscate passports/travel 
documents, switch contracts or terms of employment without 
the worker's consent, or withhold payment of salaries are 
sometimes summoned to the labor court and the cases are 
treated as civil cases between employers and employees. 
Laborers and domestic workers are often detained for months 
at the Deportation Detention Center awaiting the outcome of 
their cases against their employers. There were two 
convictions in 2006 against the employers of a domestic 
servant for criminal assault, but not specifically for a 
trafficking offense. 
 
Are the traffickers serving the time sentenced? If not, why 
 
DOHA 00000260  009.2 OF 014 
 
 
not?  Please indicate whether the government can provide this 
information, and if not, why not? 
 
- Traffickers are not criminally prosecuted. 
 
¶G. (SBU) Is there any information or reports of who is behind 
the trafficking? 
 
- With regard to laborers and domestic workers, individual 
employers and recruiting agencies are complicit in the 
trafficking in that they knowingly place these workers into 
situations of forced labor. 
 
For example, are the traffickers freelance operators, small 
crime groups, and/or large international organized crime 
syndicates? 
 
- There is no known organized crime involvement. 
 
Are employment, travel, and tourism agencies or marriage 
brokers fronting for traffickers or crime groups to traffic 
individuals? 
 
- There is no information to indicate that these 
organizations are fronts for other trafficking groups. 
 
Are government officials involved? 
 
- There are no government officials implicitly involved, 
although some may be owners of private companies that subject 
their employees to forced labor conditions. 
 
Are there any reports of where profits from trafficking in 
persons are being channeled?  (e.g. armed groups, terrorist 
organizations, judges, banks, etc.) 
 
- No. 
 
¶H. (SBU) Does the government actively investigate cases of 
trafficking?  (Again, the focus should be on trafficking 
cases versus migrant smuggling cases.) 
 
- The Qatari Coast Guard conducts preliminary investigations 
of illegal immigration for possible human exploitation and 
can refer cases to the Criminal Investigation and Evidence 
Division for follow-up if needed. Passport and Immigration 
investigates cases of visa fraud for signs of organized 
trafficking. Plainclothes police officers monitor local 
hotels for signs of prostitution. Suspected prostitutes are 
investigated for links to local sponsors before arrest and 
deportation. 
 
Does the government use active investigative techniques in 
trafficking in persons investigations? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
To the extent possible under domestic law, are techniques 
such as electronic surveillance, undercover operations, and 
mitigated punishment or immunity for cooperating suspects 
used by the government? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
Does the criminal procedure code or other laws prohibit the 
police from engaging in covert operations? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
¶I. (SBU) Does the government provide any specialized training 
for government officials in how to recognize, investigate, 
and prosecute instances of trafficking? 
 
- Yes. The National Office for Combating TIP and the Human 
Rights Office of the Ministry of Interior conducted a 
workshop from August 20-24, 2006 on the legal, social and 
security dimensions of TIP. Participants included a selection 
 
DOHA 00000260  010.2 OF 014 
 
 
of police officers, Internal Security Force staff and other 
personnel related to this subject. The purpose of the 
workshop was to "deepen the awareness of the notions related 
to the combating of TIP and the activation of the role of 
organizations and security bodies for active participation 
and confrontation of this crime and its combat and protection 
of its victims who are mostly children, women and 
housemaids." 
 
- TIP training has been incorporated into basic training at 
the police academy. The TIP Office also organized a series of 
training courses and workshops for government and private 
officials dealing with labor and domestic helpers' affairs to 
educate them on the rights of laborers and the obligations of 
employers. It included police officers training on various 
methods of dealing with TIP victims. 
 
¶J. (SBU) Does the government cooperate with other governments 
in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases? 
 
- The government is not known to cooperate with other 
governments in the investigation and prosecution of 
trafficking cases. However, it coordinated with the Embassy 
of Sudan in the repatriation of the young Sudanese boys 
employed as camel jockeys. Also, the government shares 
information with other countries in the region on patterns 
involving prostitution. It works with labor attaches from 
South Asian countries to resolve cases of labor contract 
disputes, abuse of domestic servants, and workers present in 
Qatar without authorization. 
 
If possible, can post provide the number of cooperative 
international investigations on trafficking? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
¶K. (SBU) Does the government extradite persons who are 
charged with trafficking in other countries? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
If so, can post provide the number of traffickers extradited? 
 
 
- Unknown. 
 
Does the government extradite its own nationals charged with 
such offenses? 
 
- There are no known cases. 
 
If not, is the government prohibited by law form extraditing 
its own nationals? 
 
- There are limits to extradition in accordance with 
international law. 
 
If so, is the government doing to modify its laws to permit 
the extradition of its own nationals? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
¶L. (SBU) Is there evidence of government involvement in or 
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? 
If so, please explain in detail. 
 
- Some government tolerance of trafficking is demonstrated in 
the enactment of legislation such as the Sponsorship Law, 
which is authored by government officials and which creates 
and facilitates TIP situations. For example, the Sponsorship 
Law engenders situations of bondage and servitude by 
prohibiting workers from leaving the country or changing 
employment without the permission of their current sponsor. 
Finally, the lack of enforcement of existing criminal 
statutes and labor laws could be construed as official 
toleration of TIP activities. 
 
 
DOHA 00000260  011.2 OF 014 
 
 
¶M. (SBU) If government officials are involved in trafficking, 
what steps has the government taken to end such 
participation? 
 
- There are no known cases. 
 
Have any government officials been prosecuted for involvement 
in trafficking or trafficking-related corruption? 
 
- There are no known cases. 
 
¶N. (SBU) If the country has an identified child sex tourism 
problem (as source or destination), how many foreign 
pedophiles has the government prosecuted or 
deported/extradited to their country of origin? 
 
- There is no identified child sex tourism problem. 
 
What are the countries of origin for sex tourists? 
 
- N/A. 
 
Do the country's child sexual abuse laws have 
extraterritorial coverage (similar to the U.S. PROTECT Act)? 
 
- Article 7 of the Qatari Penal Code includes explicit 
provisions endorsing the principles of territoriality and 
extraterritorial jurisdiction over offences committed by a 
Qatari national or if the deceased is a Qatari. 
 
If so, how many of the country's nationals have been 
prosecuted and/or convicted under the extraterritorial 
provision(s)? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
¶O. (SBU) Has the government signed, ratified, and/or taken 
steps to implement the following international instruments? 
Please provide the date of signature/ratification if 
appropriate. 
 
- ILO Convention 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate 
Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor: 
ratified; 30 May 2000. 
 
- ILO Convention 29 and 105 on Forced or Compulsory Labor. 
29: ratified; 12 Mar 1998 
105: ratified; 2 Feb 2007 
 
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of 
the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, 
and Child Pornography: ratified; 14 Dec 1991; with 
reservation: ".....subject to a general reservation regarding 
any provisions in the protocol that are in conflict with the 
Islamic Shariah." Nine signatories objected to Qatar's 
reservation. 
 
- The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN 
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime: 
unsigned; unratified. 
 
¶5. (U) Paragraph 30. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS. 
 
¶A. (SBU) Does the government assist victims, for example, by 
providing temporary to permanent residency status, relief 
from deportation, shelter and access to legal, medical and 
psychological services? If so, please explain. 
 
- In 2005, the government opened a shelter for trafficking 
victims to serve the needs of abused domestic workers, other 
laborers and children. The shelter is in a small housing 
compound and comprising fully furnished three-bedroom villas, 
with two villas each for men, women and children. Each villa 
can accommodate up to seven people. The shelter is under the 
management of the National TIP Coordinator. The shelter has 
assisted 44 women, men, and children, including eight 
 
DOHA 00000260  012.2 OF 014 
 
 
laborers (four women and four men). The shelter is 
underutilized because of a lack of awareness of its existence 
and also because it is primarily seen as a shelter for women 
and children. Potential victims in the labor sector have not 
had wide-spread access to the shelter. The government has 
stated that it hopes to construct a larger shelter to 
accommodate potential labor victims. 
 
Does the country have victim care and victim health care 
facilities? 
 
- The administrative building of the TIP shelter houses a 
health clinic with a medical doctor working on site. Mental 
health services are provided to the victims. 
 
Does the country have facilities dedicated to helping victims 
of trafficking? 
 
- The TIP shelter provides assistance to workers who have 
suffered from abuse in the form of payment of back wages and 
repatriation, and it will facilitate a change of employer 
rather than deportation in cases where abuse has been proven. 
The shelter employed two victims until their sponsorship was 
transferred to other employers. One of the domestic helpers 
is employed in the shelter as cleaner. The shelter has 
provided financial support to some of the victims. The 
shelter also pays for the lodgers' calls to their families 
back home and provides them with personal necessities. TIP 
victims lodged in the shelter are not repatriated unless they 
wish. Four victims were repatriated to Vietnam based on their 
own wishes in coordination with Labor Department, the 
Ministry of Interior, and the Vietnamese Charge' d'Affaires 
in Doha. Legal assistance is also available to the victims 
while in the shelter. The government has widely publicized 
the existence of the shelter and the hotlines in local 
newspapers, on TV (local 
and regional), and via brochures, posters, and leaflets. 
 
If so, can post provide the number of victims placed in these 
care facilities? 
 
- There were at least 20 victims housed in the shelter in 
¶2006. 
 
¶B. (SBU) Does the government provide funding or other forms 
of support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to 
victims? Please explain. 
 
- The government is not known to provide funding or other 
forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to 
victims. 
 
¶C. (SBU) 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 (e.g. foreign persons arrested for 
prostitution or immigration violations)? 
 
- Health care facilities have instituted a system to refer 
suspected abuse cases to the TIP shelter for investigation. 
No other system has been noted. 
 
Is there a referral process in place, when appropriate, to 
transfer victims detained, arrested or placed in protective 
custody by law enforcement authorities to NGO's that provide 
short- or long-term care? 
 
- No. Most victims of trafficking are deported. They are 
generally placed in the Deportation Detention Center pending 
resolution of their cases. The Nepalese expatriate community 
has established a private shelter for Nepalese victims. 
 
¶D. (SBU) Are the rights of victims respected, or are victims 
treated as criminals? 
 
- The rights of laborers and domestic workers are generally 
not respected. 
 
DOHA 00000260  013.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
Are victims detained, jailed, or deported? 
 
- They are often treated as criminals. Laborers are often 
kept in the Deportation Detention Center until their civil 
cases with their sponsors are resolved. Domestic workers are 
also detained and placed in the Deportation Detention Center. 
After their cases have been resolved, they are deported, but 
sometimes only after long administrative delays. 
 
If detained or jailed, for how long? 
 
- The length of detainment varies greatly. A visit to the 
Deportation Detention Center by Embassy officials found 1400 
workers detained and awaiting deportation. Some had been 
detained for more than four years. 
 
Are victims fined? 
 
- Some victims are also fined if they are found to be in 
violation of immigration or other laws. 
 
Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, such as 
those governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
- Many victims are charged with immigration violations, even 
if the violations are the fault of their sponsors. 
 
¶E. (SBU) Does the government encourage victims to assist in 
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking? 
 
- The government encourages some victims to assist in their 
own cases of abuse or withholding of pay. 
 
May victims file civil suits or seek legal action against the 
traffickers? 
 
- Victims may file civil suits against the traffickers. 
 
Does anyone impede the victims' access to such legal redress? 
 
 
- Some sponsors and employers have been known to threaten 
victims in an attempt to keep them from seeking legal 
redress. 
 
If a victim is a material witness in a court case against a 
former employer, is the victim permitted to obtain other 
employment or to leave the country pending trial proceedings? 
 
- If a victim is a material witness in a court case against 
the former employer, the victim may be permitted to obtain 
other employment only upon approval of the Ministry of the 
Interior. Victims may generally not leave the country if 
there is a pending case. In some cases, a power of attorney 
may be given to the victim's Embassy to continue pursuing the 
case while the victim is repatriated. 
 
Is there a victim restitution program? 
 
- There is no victim restitution program. 
 
¶F. (SBU) What kind of protection is the government able to 
provide for victims and witnesses? 
 
- The government has a shelter for trafficking victims and 
assists them with their cases against their sponsors. 
However, the shelter has assisted only a few victims. 
 
Does it provide these protections in practice? 
 
- Yes. 
What type of shelter or services does the government provide? 
 
 
- The shelter has a health clinic and a social worker on the 
premises to assist victims in rebuilding their lives. 
 
DOHA 00000260  014.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
Does it provide shelter or housing benefits to victims or 
other resources to aid the victims in rebuilding their lives? 
 
- Yes. 
 
Where are child victims placed (e.g. in shelters, 
foster-care, or juvenile justice detention centers)? 
 
- If possible, child victims are housed with their mother. 
The shelter is equipped to care for children and foster care 
is available. 
 
¶G. (SBU) Does the government provide any specialized training 
for government officials in recognizing trafficking and in 
the provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including 
the special needs of trafficked children? 
 
- Yes. The National Office for Combating TIP and the Human 
Rights Office of the Ministry of Interior conducted a 
workshop from August 20-24, 2006, on the legal, social and 
security dimensions of TIP. Participants included a selection 
of police officers, Internal Security Force staff and other 
personnel related to this subject. The purpose of the 
workshop was to "deepen the awareness of the notions related 
to the combating of TIP and the activation of the role of 
organizations and security bodies for active participation 
and confrontation of this crime and its combat and protection 
of its victims who are mostly children, women and 
housemaids." TIP training has been incorporated into basic 
training at the police academy. 
 
Does the government provide training on protections and 
assistance to its embassies and consulates in foreign 
countries that are destination or transit countries? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
Does it urge those embassies and consulates to develop 
ongoing relationships with NGOs that serve trafficked victims? 
 
- Unknown. 
 
¶H. (SBU) Does the government provide assistance, such as 
medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated 
nationals who are victims of trafficking? 
 
- There are no known cases. 
 
¶I. Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, work 
with trafficking victims? 
 
- There are no international organizations or NGOs that work 
with trafficked victims in the country. 
 
What type of services do they provide? 
 
- N/A. 
 
What sort of cooperation do they receive from local 
authorities? 
 
- N/A. 
 
¶6. (U) Embassy Point of Contact is Political Officer, Timothy 
¶J. Fingarson. Tel. 974-488-4101 ext. 6453.  Fax 974 487-3317. 
One FS-04 officer spent 60 hours in the preparation of this 
report cable. 
UNTERMEYER