VZCZCXRO4903
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #0382/01 0861130
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261130Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0628
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0178
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0062
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0164
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1390
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1666
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0326
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0688
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0120
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0050
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 0070
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0449
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0058
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0247
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 16 ABU DHABI 000382 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND G/TIP/GAYATRI PATEL 
ALSO FOR G, INL, DRL, PRM, L/DL, AND NEA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PREF KCRM KWMN ASEC ELAB SMIG AE
SUBJECT: TIP REPORT FOR UAE MARCH 2008 
 
REFS:  A) ABU DHABI 377 (GARGASH ON CITY OF HOPE) 
B) DUBAI 0092 (DISCORD AMONG DUBAI SHELTERS) 
C) ABU DHABI 173 (GARGASH UPDATE) 
D) ABU DHABI 135 (OPENING SHELTERS IN ABU DHABI) 
E) STATE 9008 (UN.GIFT CONFERENCE FUNDED BY ABU DHABI) 
F) STATE 2731 (TIP REPORT GUIDANCE) 
G) 07 ABU DHABI 1891 (INTERIM TIP ASSESSMENT) 
H) 07 ABU DHABI 1883 (MIN OF JUSTICE TRAINING REQUEST) 
I) 07 DUBAI 629 (DUBAI SHELTER'S PATCHY START) 
J) 07 ABU DHABI 1820 (UAE TIP REPORT AND TRAINING) 
K) 07 DUBAI 581 (G/TIP WITH PHILIPPINE CONSULATE) 
L) 07 ABU DHABI 1687 (G/TIP AMB LAGON VISIT) 
M) 07 DUBAI 570 (VISIT VISAS) 
N) 07 ABU DHABI 1568 (UNICEF ON JOCKEY REPATRIATION) 
O) 07 ABU DHABI 1542 (ACTION PLAN WITH MFA) 
P) 07 ABU DHABI 1539 (ACTIVIST VOICES) 
Q) 07 ABU DHABI 1511 (MOL VIEWS) 
R) 07 ABU DHABI 1272 (TIP UPDATE WITH GARGASH) 
S) 07 DUBAI 411 (NATIONAL TIP COMMITTEE) 
T) 07 ABU DHABI 599 (UAE PRESIDENT ON LABOR FORCE) 
U) 07 ABU DHABI 368 (UAE TIP REPORT MARCH 2007) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The United Arab Emirates is home to a broad array 
of communities, including those vulnerable to exploitive human 
traffickers.  The population is comprised of over 80 percent 
foreigners, many of whom provide unskilled or minimally skilled labor 
to a fast-growing economy.  In this multi-strata society, the TIP 
phenomenon clearly persists.  UAEG efforts to come to terms with the 
problem are also significant.  Implementation of the UAE's anti-TIP 
law is ongoing, boosted by the formation of an active National 
Committee to Combat Human Trafficking in 2007; while quantitative 
measures of progress will take time to assemble, qualitative 
improvement in the UAEG approach is indisputable.  In addition to 
reporting throughout the year (reftels), Post offers the following 
observations in response to ref E questions.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Responses below are keyed to Ref E "Checklist" in 
paragraphs 27 through 30. 
 
Paragraph 27 -- Overview of activities to eliminate trafficking 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
-- 27A.  The United Arab Emirates was a country of destination for a 
large work force, particularly from South and Southeast Asia, 
including both men and women.  Precise numbers of trafficked men and 
women are impossible to ascertain, yet the magnitude of the transient 
labor force suggests widespread potential for exploitation and abuse. 
 There is no evidence that the UAE is a source country for 
trafficking victims, although victims likely transit the UAE.  The 
UAEG is not able to catalogue all trafficking cases and has not 
produced specific estimates of the problem, although the UAEG is 
actively pursuing improvements both in terms of data collection and 
in focusing resources in immigration, law enforcement and the 
judicial system to better identify potential trafficking victims. 
Those most at risk of trafficking in the UAE are on the lower end of 
the wage scale who have little recourse when an employer or person of 
authority withholds wages, presses them into excessive working hours 
or unhygienic living conditions, or exerts other coercive influences. 
 
Many potential victims were either unskilled laborers or domestic 
workers, including some drawn into the commercial sex industry. 
While the total number of foreign construction workers in the UAE 
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 
and Pakistan, often arrive in a state of debt bondage having 
voluntarily paid as much as USD 2,700 (10,000 dirham) to an agent in 
the source country to arrange an employment contract.  These workers 
might receive a salary of between USD 135 to USD 200 (500 to 750 
dirham) per month, while interest continues to accrue on their debt. 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  002 OF 016 
 
 
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.  Like construction labor, domestic workers 
generally came to the UAE voluntarily, but often had their passports 
withheld upon entry, or came with the understanding that they would 
work in a more-skilled profession instead of the one available to 
them upon arrival.  There were reports that women -- primarily from 
Sri Lanka and the Philippines -- were lured to the UAE to work as 
domestic workers but were later sent to work in other countries, 
including Oman.  Women trafficked to work in the commercial sex 
industry came from a myriad of countries spanning from Eastern Europe 
to Africa to East Asia.  There is no reliable data on the number of 
women involved in the sex industry; rough estimates go as high as 
10,000.  Similarly, there is no reliable information as to how many 
of those involved were trafficking victims. 
 
-- 27B.  The UAEG has made qualitative strides in its anti-TIP 
efforts in 2007, expanding awareness of the problem and working 
actively to combat it.  Nonetheless, the complex phenomenon persists 
in an international environment in which economic incentive continues 
to draw vulnerable workers into opportunities abroad. 
 
The UAE economy is heavily dependent on foreign labor.  Over 80 
percent of the total UAE population, and roughly 98 percent of the 
private sector workforce, is expatriate.  The majority of unskilled 
workers are from poor source countries and came to the UAE for 
economic opportunity.  Some became trafficking victims after their 
arrival in the UAE.  Female victims, for example, from South and 
Southeast Asia (particularly India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, 
and the Philippines), may have been brought as domestic laborers and 
later trafficked into other work; 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), may face similar 
challenges.  Labor conditions in the UAE can be harsh for unskilled 
workers in any circumstance, but more particularly when enduring 
excessive work hours, nonpayment of wages, verbal, mental, physical, 
or sexual abuse, or restriction of movement.  One cannot know how 
many incidents of such treatment occur, although all are reported 
anecdotally from time to time.  Trafficking victims most often arrive 
in the country voluntarily, having entered into employment contracts 
in their home country with an agent who is usually of the same 
nationality as the victim.  (Regarding freedom of movement, many 
employers hold the passports of their workers, in spite of the 
practice having been outlawed in 2003.  The UAEG organized public 
relations campaigns 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.  Nonetheless, the practice remains widespread.) 
 
Transient workers are also susceptible to contract switching. 
Domestic workers were sometimes made employment offers to work as a 
secretary or in another office job and travel to the UAE on a visit 
 
SIPDIS 
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.  There 
were further reports from source country embassies that some 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 reportedly almost always able to resolve their 
complaints to the employees' satisfaction.  Source country labor 
attaches report good relations with Ministry of Interior (MoI) and 
immigration officials, and state that although domestic workers are 
not covered under the labor law, MoI officials routinely offer 
similar dispute resolution processes and protections as the labor law 
provides, but on an informal basis.  In March 2007, the UAEG 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  003 OF 016 
 
 
announced a standardized work contract for all domestic workers that 
took 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 Residency Department.  It 
is unclear whether the UAEG has enough labor inspectors to 
sufficiently monitor compliance, although 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, MoI 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 domestic workers.  Additionally, the numbers of UAE 
officials trained to recognize signs of coercion and potential 
trafficking increased. 
 
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 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 mediation procedure.  The UAEG also offered 
an extensive amnesty program in 2007 for those in irregular status to 
legalize their visas or return to their home countries.  A reported 
341,958 persons took advantage of the amnesty program. 
 
-- 27C.  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.  On the local level, police and immigration 
departments, public prosecutors, and social services departments are 
also involved.  Police and other government officials have worked 
more closely with members of the media to increase public awareness. 
 
The 2006 anti-trafficking legislation created a new anti-trafficking 
committee, led by then Minister of State for Federal National Council 
Affairs (who was recently made Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 
but presumably retains the TIP portfolio).  That committee has been 
active since its April 2007 formation in drawing together involved 
agencies to coordinate UAEG efforts.  Article 12 of Federal Law #51 
stipulates participation on the committee by the Ministries of 
Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, Labor, Social Affairs, and 
Health, along with State Security and the UAE Red Crescent Society. 
Other participants can be added by Cabinet decision. 
 
-- 27D.  The UAE has both structural and cultural impediments to 
combating trafficking, but corruption does not seem to be a 
significant contributing problem.  Complex issues such as TIP tax the 
human resources of the UAEG, which lacks institutional depth due to 
the country's young age and small national population.  Training at 
all levels of the law enforcement community, for example, is time 
consuming when nuanced and complex offences like TIP are involved. 
Additionally, a loose federal structure and requirement for consensus 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  004 OF 016 
 
 
often prevent quick action on matters with any level of controversy, 
such as TIP.  For example, 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, particularly in Dubai.  Civil courts are 
generally part of the federal system and accountable to the Federal 
Supreme Court, with the notable exceptions of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and 
Ras Al Khaimah emirates, which have independent judiciaries. 
Reaching all government entities uniformly with cohesive and 
comprehensive training programs is challenging for the UAEG. 
 
Some cultural characteristics also hamper the Government's ability to 
address TIP.  For example, as a conservative 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.  Financial resources and 
technology are not generally limiting factors, although human 
resource constraints are apparent.  UAE immigration officials 
routinely track foreigners who try to enter the country illegally, 
for example, using iris recognition biometric technology (the 
database contains approximately four million iris scan results). 
 
By its nature, trafficking in persons involves persons and activities 
outside (as well as inside) the UAE and aspects of the phenomenon are 
not under UAE control.  The UAEG therefore frequently stresses the 
need to enhance international cooperation. 
 
-- 27E.  The National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and its 
constituent government agencies systematically and regularly address 
UAEG anti-TIP efforts, coordinating government responses and training 
to enhance UAEG capacity and improve data collection.  Committee 
meetings get prominent local press coverage (in Arabic and English 
dailies).  The Committee actively pursues international cooperation 
and has prepared brochures in English to highlight UAEG efforts to 
address the TIP phenomenon.  The Committee has stated its desire to 
assemble reliable data on the extent of the problem, yet has to date 
not issued such quantitative data. 
 
The UAEG devoted significant energy, time and resources to 
sensitizing law enforcement, immigration, and judicial officials to 
the subject of trafficking in persons, as well as pursuing practical 
training 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.  One such training program in February 2008 involved three U.S. 
experts (from the Department of Justice, FBI, and ICE) sharing case 
studies with UAE judges and prosecutors.  The program, Principles of 
Investigating and Prosecuting Human Trafficking Crimes, successfully 
deepened the TIP expertise of judicial participants. 
 
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 in an attempt to warn off potential 
trafficking victims, as well as to inform victims where to receive 
assistance.  The UAEG senior leadership continues to ask 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. 
 
Over the reporting period, senior leaders voiced their strong 
political will to combat trafficking in persons, notably through a 
USD 15 million donation by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi that enabled 
a UN.GIFT conference on anti-TIP efforts in Vienna in February 2008. 
The UAEG's TIP committee actively coordinated multi-agency efforts. 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  005 OF 016 
 
 
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. 
 
Paragraph 28 -- Investigation and Prosecution 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
-- 28A.  On November 9, 2006, the UAEG enacted a comprehensive 
anti-trafficking law intended to cover the entire range of 
trafficking issues.  The first case to be prosecuted under this law 
involved an Indian couple transiting from India to Paris, via Dubai, 
accompanied by two unrelated Indian boys who held forged passports. 
On March 1, 2007, the Dubai Attorney General accepted the case for 
prosecution.  Prior to this law, Justice Ministry officials advised 
that traffickers were prosecuted under specific penal laws such as 
kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. 
 
The 2006 law, Federal Law #51 on Combating Human Trafficking Crimes, 
defines Human Trafficking as "recruiting, transporting transferring, 
harboring, or receiving persons by means of threat or use of force, 
or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of 
power or of position, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the 
person, or, the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to 
achieve the consent of a person having control over another person 
for the purpose of exploitation.  Exploitation includes all forms of 
sexual exploitation, engaging others in prostitution, servitude, 
forced labor, enslavement, quasi-slavery practices, or detachment of 
organs."  The law penalizes transnational crimes. 
 
The UAE sees its anti-trafficking legislation as the first of its 
kind in the Arab world, defining trafficking as an element of 
organized crime and setting forth mechanisms to combat explicit 
servitude, sexual exploitation, forced labor and the involuntary 
trade in human organs. 
 
Complementing the intent of the new UAE law, Indian authorities began 
on September 1, 2007, to restrict Indian women under 30 years old who 
have not graduated high school from working in the UAE to protect 
them from exploitation.  Also, employment contracts were required to 
be concluded directly between employer and employee, to the exclusion 
of recruiting agents, to decrease chances for exploitation.  Contract 
review by labor attaches of the worker's embassy or consulate also 
proved effective.  Furthermore it was announced that pre-paid mobile 
phone cards must be provided to every female domestic worker to 
facilitate contact with authorities if necessary.  On January 24, 
2008, the Dubai Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) 
director stated that individuals who facilitate visas for women as 
housemaids and then provide those women to traffickers would be 
accused of accomplice to trafficking, regardless of intent. 
 
In May 2007, the UAEG ratified the United Nations Convention Against 
Transnational Organized Crime, which includes provisions for 
international cooperation in anti-human trafficking efforts.  On 
March 9, 2008, the UAE Cabinet signaled UAE ratification (likely 
requiring Federal Supreme Council approval) of the UN Protocol to 
Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially 
women and children. 
 
-- 28B.  Trafficking for prostitution carries a five-year minimum 
sentence.  A life sentence can be imposed if the victim is a female, 
a child, mentally impaired, or if the perpetrator is a spouse, 
parent, or guardian of the victim.  Life sentences can also be 
imposed if the perpetrator is a public servant or member of an 
organized criminal group; if the act was committed through the use or 
threat of force, violence, death, or physical or psychological 
torture; or if the crime was committed by an armed person. 
 
Less complex sexual exploitation cases are punishable by a maximum of 
one year with a fine or a minimum of two years if the victim is under 
the age of 18 or if the victim was coerced into prostitution.  If 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  006 OF 016 
 
 
force, threat, or fraud was used, or if the victim is a minor, the 
maximum sentence is 10 years.  Convicted expatriates are frequently 
deported once their sentence is complete. 
 
-- 28C.  Labor exploitation is a primary concern of the 2006 anti-TIP 
law, which stipulates "not less than five years" penalty for human 
trafficking crimes (Article 2).  Life imprisonment is imposed in 
certain circumstances (as noted in 28B above).  Persons aware of TIP 
crimes who fail to report them are penalized for "not less than one 
and not more than five years" and/or face a fine of "not less than 
5,000 dirham and not more than 20,000 dirham" (Article 3).  Those 
prompting others to give false testimony face "not less than five 
years" (Article 4).  Corporate entities violating the law are to be 
"punished by a fine of not less than 100,000 dirham, and not more 
than one million dirham," in addition to a possible court order of 
"temporary dissolution, or total closure" of the company or one of 
its branches (Article 7). 
 
There are no laws that explicitly criminalize labor practices such as 
contract switching or seizing a laborer's passport.  However, 
anti-trafficking legislation is sufficiently broad to cover labor 
recruiters in source and destination countries.  The UAE Labor Law 
criminalizes use of fraudulent documents in labor recruitment.  The 
maximum penalty is six months and/or a maximum fine of USD 6,800 
(25,000 dirham).  In October 2007, the Ministry of Labor announced 
that laborers' salaries should be paid through an Electronic Wage 
Payment System; in an effort to eradicate non-payment of salaries, 
cash payments were not permitted after January 2008.  The UAEG uses 
such mechanisms (enabling them with regulation and technical support) 
to lessen the opportunity for exploitation.  Compliance is improving 
but not uniform.  The UAEG cracked down on companies violating rest 
break rules (which mandate rests for outside workers during the 
hottest parts of the day in summer months), actively inspecting 
conditions and pursuing violators. 
 
-- 28D.  Rape sentencing ranges from two years to capital punishment, 
with possible lashing as another penalty.  Death is imposed for rape 
that leads to the victim's death.  Penalties for sex trafficking 
range from a minimum of five years to life. 
 
-- 28E.  Prostitution is criminalized by law.  The penalty for 
prostitution is temporary imprisonment and deportation if a foreign 
national.  Brothel operators or owners are imprisoned temporarily and 
face brothel closure.  Pimps and clients can be sentenced to a 
maximum of five years.  The law has been partially applied.  Local 
police raided and closed some parlors which were affiliated with 
prostitution.  For example, in December 2007, Dubai police raided 22 
villas and flats and arrested 247 suspects (170 sex workers, 12 pimps 
and 65 clients).  Business licenses have been permanently cancelled 
in some cases. 
 
-- 28F.  Dubai Police registered 10 trafficking related cases between 
January and August 2007.  Five cases pertain to instigating 
prostitution, two to threatening children's lives, and three regard 
other trafficking issues.  At least five individuals were convicted 
of trafficking in 2007.  More cases have been prosecuted since the 
2007 data, as noted below. 
 
While not comprehensive, the following are individual reports of 
prosecutions pursued during the reporting period. 
 
In February and March 2007, two separate travel document fraud rings 
were uncovered.  The perpetrators were referred to trial. 
 
In July 2007, a Dubai court sentenced two individuals to 15 years for 
forcing a woman into prostitution.  This was the first implementation 
of Federal Law # 51 of 2006.  Their sentence was reduced to seven 
years in September 2007 following an appeal by the Public 
Prosecutor's Office for leniency.  Their driver was sentenced to 
three years for aiding and abetting.  As is common in such cases, the 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  007 OF 016 
 
 
three will be deported following completion of their sentences. 
 
On September 12, 2007, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced 
two Indians to 15 years for sexually exploiting an Indonesian woman 
by forcing her into prostitution and selling her.  On September 23, 
2007, two Bangladeshis were charged with attempted trafficking of two 
housemaids by forcing them into prostitution.  The perpetrators 
attempted to sell the housemaids for USD 2,450 to a police informant 
posing as a buyer.  On October 17, 2007, the Dubai Court of Appeals 
sentenced a male suspect to three years for forcing a woman into 
prostitution and attempting to sell her for USD 1,170. 
 
On October 23, 2007, the Dubai Attorney General referred a sex 
trafficking case to the Dubai Court of First Instance.  The Public 
Prosecution charged two suspects with trafficking, illegal detention, 
operating a brothel, and forcing two females into prostitution.  The 
perpetrators beat the victims and forced them to have sex with 
customers, keeping the money for themselves.  Finally, the 
perpetrators attempted to sell the victims for USD 2,700 (10,000 
dirham). 
 
On November 23, 2007, the Dubai Public Prosecutor accused a 
Bangladeshi of bringing a 17-year-old girl to the UAE and forcing her 
into prostitution.  The girl testified that she entered the UAE on a 
visit visa that the perpetrator, whom she knew, sent to her.  On 
December 1, 2007, a joint State Security and CID operation uncovered 
a massive prostitution ring involving 22 brothels in various 
residences.  A total of 247 individuals comprised of 170 South and 
East Asian prostitutes, 12 pimps, and 65 customers were arrested.  On 
December 13, 2007, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced an 
Indian woman to three years for forcing her housemaid into 
prostitution, beating her for refusing, and working as a prostitute 
herself. 
 
On December 17, 2007, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced an 
Indian man to five years for attempted trafficking.  The man 
attempted to sell a destitute Indonesian housemaid to a police 
informant for USD 1,220 and to force her into prostitution.  On 
January 14, 2008, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced two 
Indian men to 10 years for attempting to force two women into 
prostitution and sell them to a police informant for USD 2,450.  The 
women were housemaids who had escaped from their employers.  The men 
assaulted the victims when they refused to engage in prostitution. 
On January 17, 2008, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced a 
Bangladeshi man to 10 years and a Bangladeshi woman to one year for 
forcing an Indian woman into prostitution.  As with other similar 
cases, the foreign perpetrators will be deported after serving their 
sentences. 
 
On February 6, 2008, two Bangladeshi men were referred to court by 
the Public Prosecutor for sexually exploiting an Indonesian housemaid 
and attempting to sell her to an undercover police agent for USD 
2,700 (10,000 dirham). 
 
On February 6, 2008, police arrested four Asian gang members who 
attempted to sell a woman into prostitution for USD 2,900.  The four 
confessed to have trafficked the woman into the UAE on a visit visa 
to sell her into prostitution and to running brothels.  They were 
referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office on trafficking charges; 
one was charged with aiding and abetting.  On February 18, 2008, the 
Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced an Indian driver to three 
years and subsequent deportation for attempting to coerce a destitute 
housemaid into prostitution. 
 
On February 26, 2008, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced an 
Iranian businessman to two years for operating a brothel.  Seven 
Kazakh and Russian prostitutes were sentenced to six months.  The 
court also sentenced a Kazakh woman to nine months for assisting the 
Iranian businessman.  The Iranian businessman trafficked the women to 
Dubai on visit visas, promising them restaurant jobs but then asking 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  008 OF 016 
 
 
them to be prostitutes for three months to cover the cost of visas 
and airfare. 
 
On March 9, 2008, Dubai public prosecutors charged a Ukranian woman 
with violating Federal Law #51 for trying to sell a penniless 
Moldovan woman (who came to Dubai to help treat her daughter's 
asthma) to a police informant for USD 7,600 (28,000 dirham). 
 
-- 28G.  The UAEG has worked to sensitize law enforcement and 
immigration officials to trafficking and has provided practical 
training to protect victims and prevent future incidents.  Abu Dhabi 
and Dubai police and the Ministries of Interior, Health, and Justice 
have conducted anti-TIP training.  The Dubai Naturalization and 
Residency Department trained immigration inspectors to identify 
fraudulent documents used by traffickers and victims.  The UAEG 
supplied ports of entry and source country embassies and consulates 
with brochures to warn potential victims about the dangers of 
trafficking and to inform them about obtaining assistance. 
 
The Ministry of Justice Institute of Judicial Training and Studies 
holds mandatory classes for prosecutors and judges on proper victim 
assistance.  The Institute also conducts mandatory classes on the 
following:  human rights; sexual offenses; offenses against life; 
immigration offenses; juvenile protection and delinquency; labor 
violations and offenses. 
 
Senior UAEG ministers have repeatedly requested USG training, 
information, and opportunities that would enhance their efforts to 
combat trafficking and help law enforcement officials, prosecutors, 
and judges to better identify, investigate, and prosecute trafficking 
cases. 
 
On September 2 and 3, 2007, the Ministry of Interior and National 
Committee to Combat Human Trafficking organized a trafficking 
training seminar at the Abu Dhabi Police Department of Criminal 
Evidence to raise trafficking awareness and develop methods to 
eradicate it.  Participants included the Department of Naturalization 
and Residency, CID, police officers, and public prosecutors. 
 
On September 25, 2007, the UAE Police Academy held training entitled 
"Islamic Sharia Position Towards Trafficking in Persons."  The Head 
of Sharia Studies at the Police Academy spoke of the importance of 
women in Islam and encouraged the audience to combat trafficking. 
 
On December 10, 2007, the UAE National Committee to Combat Human 
Trafficking co-hosted a workshop with the Johns Hopkins University on 
GCC legislation on trafficking.  The workshop, held in Dubai, 
compared legislation in GCC countries and discussed joint methods to 
eradicate trafficking. 
 
In January 2008, the Ministry of Interior held a lecture on the 
security risks of trafficking and conducted five days of training on 
related human rights and law enforcement issues. 
 
On February 24, 2008, the Ministry of Justice began a four-day 
anti-TIP judicial workshop in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. 
Numerous judges, prosecutors, and legal experts attended the 
workshop, entitled "Principles of Investigation and Prosecution of 
Human Trafficking Crimes."  The USG provided three experts (from FBI, 
ICE, and DoJ) to share case studies.  At the session, the Minister of 
Justice announced that the UAE would ratify the UN Protocol to 
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women 
and children, supplementing the UN Convention Against Transnational 
Organized Crime, which the UAEG had signed earlier. 
 
-- 28H.  UAEG officials stated, and several source country embassies 
and consulates confirmed, that they cooperate with other governments 
on investigations, provide care for and repatriate victims, and 
together seek to prevent future incidents.  Law enforcement officials 
reported that they cooperate with NGOs on trafficking issues.  (NGO 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  009 OF 016 
 
 
coordination is addressed later in this report.)  Ministry of 
Interior officials indicated a desire for increased cooperation with 
source country governments in the area of information exchange on 
organized crime and trafficking.  Statistics on international 
investigations were not yet available. 
 
In 2006, the UAE issued law #39 pertaining to international 
cooperation in judicial matters, which complements anti-TIP efforts 
by facilitating extradition and mutual legal assistance.  The UAEG 
has mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) with a number of 
countries (not including the U.S.).  In some cases, mutual legal 
assistance was exchanged with countries with which the UAEG did not 
have an MLAT. 
 
-- 28I.  The UAEG has extradition treaties with India, Sri Lanka, 
Armenia, Canada (for drugs and money laundering charges), Saudi 
Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Sudan, and 
Egypt.  A number of other treaties are in the negotiation or approval 
processes.  The UAE has at times agreed to extradite individuals to 
and from countries with which the UAEG does not have extradition 
treaties but has not always ultimately completed the extradition. 
UAEG extradition of a UAE citizen to another country is contrary to 
UAE law. 
 
A March 2008 report by the National Committee to Combat Human 
Trafficking states that the UAE issued four international circulars 
naming TIP criminals and extradited three convicted persons during 
¶2007. 
 
-- 28J.  Although there were no verified reports that government 
officials were involved in trafficking, UAE officials may have at 
times turned a blind-eye to the problem.  Police act against 
prostitution when incontrovertible evidence exists and yet often take 
no action if a sexual encounter could be other than commercial in 
nature. 
 
NGO officials and human rights observers sometimes questioned the 
sincerity of the UAEG's political will to combat trafficking, citing 
(among other reasons) the economic importance of foreign labor. 
 
-- 28K.  No credible or verifiable cases of government involvement in 
trafficking have been reported.  Based on prior criminal prosecutions 
of government officials, the UAEG would likely prosecute officials 
suspected of trafficking. 
 
-- 28L.  N/A. 
 
-- 28M.  Although some teenage girls are reported to have been 
trafficked for prostitution (likely having concealed their true age 
in visa documents), there are no reliable reports that the UAE is a 
child sex tourism destination or source.  There are no reports of 
foreign pedophiles being arrested, prosecuted, convicted, sentenced, 
deported, or extradited.  Child sexual abuse has extraterritorial 
coverage only if the victim or perpetrator is a UAE citizen.  If so, 
a perpetrator could be prosecuted upon return to the UAE. 
 
Paragraph 29 -- Protection and Assistance to Victims 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
-- 29A.  The UAEG provides assistance and protection to trafficking 
victims, including repatriation assistance.  Public hospitals provide 
counseling.  Nonetheless, the UAE used deportation as a solution in 
some cases of labor disputes; we have no evidence that these disputes 
involved a TIP dimension, although that is possible. 
 
In 2005, the government established a Social Support Center near Abu 
Dhabi for child camel jockeys awaiting repatriation and coordinated 
with UNICEF to care for and reintegrate them in their home countries. 
 This UAE - UNICEF partnership, with funding of USD 9 million, 
provides assistance to these children through May 2009.  On November 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  010 OF 016 
 
 
26, 2007, the UNICEF representative in the Gulf area lauded the UAE's 
efforts to deal with the camel jockey issue in a humane way that has 
been recognized internationally. 
 
In the Abu Dhabi Emirate, social support centers provide physical and 
mental health services to trafficking victims.  In the Sharjah 
Emirate, the Higher Family Council provides similar health services. 
In Dubai, the Dubai Police Human Rights Care Department, Victim 
Assistance Unit, provides counseling, medical care, financial aid, 
and travel assistance.  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.  Post does not have statistics 
indicating how many victims used any of the above services over the 
reporting year. 
 
-- 29B.  The UAEG encourages victims to come forward in order to 
receive assistance.  On December 4, 2007, the Dubai Police Chief 
publicly advised any woman who had been duped into prostitution or 
anyone with information on traffickers to contact the police.  He 
stressed that callers would be protected. 
 
The embassies of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia sponsor 
shelters for abused and/or trafficked domestic employees, with 
cooperation from the UAEG.  Notably, one NGO-sponsored women's 
shelter operating in Dubai received referrals from the Dubai Police. 
 
On July 8, 2007, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime 
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued a law establishing the 
Dubai Women's and Children's Charity Foundation (DWCCF) to care for 
female and  minor victims of physical and psychological abuse.  This 
foundation provides shelter, healthcare and psychological counseling 
to help victims reintegrate into society.  The Dubai Women's Shelter, 
operating under this foundation, is funded by the Government of 
Dubai.  According to data provided by the shelter (through the 
National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking), the facility 
received 28 suspected victims of trafficking between October 2007 and 
March 18, 2008.  Among these cases, 24 were adults and four were 
minors (under 18 years of age).  At least three were reportedly 
rehabilitated and repatriated to Uzbekistan by the end of 2007.  As 
of March 18, 2008, the shelter housed 14 identified trafficking 
victims (10 adults and four minors of the following nationalities: 
Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, India, 
Nigeria, and "unknown") among a larger shelter population of persons 
not identified as having been trafficked. 
 
On December 10, 2007, the National Committee to Combat Human 
Trafficking visited Dubai's first official shelter, funded by the 
Government of Dubai and run by the DWCCF, to learn about the 
shelter's goals and services.  This foundation has received official 
approval to shelter domestic violence victims.  The foundation's 
director described the foundation as an "independent civil society 
institution in the UAE that deals specifically with women and 
children victims of human trafficking, violence, persecution and 
neglect."  She added that the foundation will "protect the rights of 
women and children by offering a safe environment where their rights 
will be protected."  She mentioned that the foundation helped victims 
originating from Asia, Europe and Africa.  The Foundation 
collaborated with the International Organization for Migration to 
assist in victim repatriation. 
 
March 2008 press reports indicated that the a number of former 
residents of a private shelter run by an Emirati-American activist 
for the past several years have accused that activist of exploiting 
women and children in the shelter's care; the chairman of the DWCCF 
voiced similar concerns in the press reports.  The activist has 
denied all charges.  This dispute undermined what should have been a 
cooperative effort to upgrade the overall quality of sheltering 
services in Dubai. U.S. consular officials have worked successfully 
in the past with the private shelter to assist at-risk Americans, and 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  011 OF 016 
 
 
have seen no evidence of abuse of shelter residents. 
 
On January 13, 2008, the Red Crescent Authority, in collaboration 
with the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, announced 
the future opening of an Abu Dhabi shelter.  On February 26, 2008, 
UAE Deputy Prime Minister/Chairman of UAE Red Crescent Authority, 
Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, issued a decision to establish shelters 
across the UAE for female and child trafficking victims.  The 
shelters will be managed by a corporate body with financial and 
administrative independence, operating under the auspices of the Red 
Crescent Authority. 
 
-- 29C.  The Government provides funding for most local social 
service organizations (which tend to be loosely government-affiliated 
and are not in the strict sense NGOs) and works with foreign NGOs to 
assist trafficking victims.  Authorities regularly work with source 
country NGOs to assist with repatriation efforts. 
 
In February of 2008, the UAE delegation to the Vienna Forum on Human 
Trafficking conducted discussions with senior government and UN 
officials, NGOs, and international experts on human trafficking. 
While there, the delegation initiated partnerships for exchanges and 
capacity building.  Moreover, the UAEG donated USD 15 million to the 
UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking and provides 
financial aid to UN and other voluntary organizations dedicated to 
anti-TIP efforts. 
 
-- 29D.  Immigration authorities claim to employ methodical screening 
criteria to identify victims, primarily sex workers, prior to entry 
into the UAE.  Questions about how one obtained a UAE entry visa and 
what relationship one has with his/her visa sponsor form part of this 
screening effort, which looks for inconsistencies in information. 
Questionable cases are forwarded to officers specialized in screening 
for TIP crimes.  Immigration authorities also screen for valid family 
relationships regarding women and children.  Usually, children are 
required to be accompanied by parents or immediate family members. 
Single women under 25 years old are often expected to be accompanied 
by an adult male family member. 
 
Dubai police report that they screen for victims.  Women who claim 
they are sex trafficking victims and are willing to cooperate with 
police are housed in hotels at police expense until the completion of 
the trial(s) of the trafficker(s).  These victims are under police 
protection while in Dubai.  During the reporting period the UAEG 
continued to train immigration and law enforcement personnel to 
enhance capacity for screening victims. 
 
-- 29E.  N/A. 
 
-- 29F.  Victims' rights are generally respected, once and if they 
are identified as victims.  Victims who agree to testify against 
their traffickers are afforded housing and employment.  However, 
police reported that victims often choose immediate repatriation 
rather than testifying against their traffickers.  Dubai police 
reported that prosecutions were common when victims did testify. 
 
Police do not arbitrarily detain, imprison, or deport sexual abuse 
victims.  Working with foreign governments and NGOs when appropriate, 
the UAEG repatriates victims at the UAEG's expense, under the crime 
victim assistance program. 
 
Dubai police do not necessarily waive prosecution for women who may 
eventually become victims of trafficking after entering the UAE on 
their own volition to engage in prostitution.  If an individual 
entered the UAE to engage in prostitution, in violation of UAE 
immigration law, police may question whether prosecution should be 
waived only because the individual was later victimized.  Dubai 
police officials have stated that women may claim to be trafficked to 
avoid prosecution. 
 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  012 OF 016 
 
 
-- 29G.  Police report that they advise sexual abuse and trafficking 
victims of their rights and encourage witness testimony.  Victims may 
also file civil suits for damages.  Foreign diplomats indicate that 
victims have been permitted to give sworn testimony and to leave the 
country before judgment was rendered.  The Dubai Police, in 
coordination with CID, attempt to persuade 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. 
 
The UAEG reported that it advised victims of their lawful rights, put 
offenders on trial to protect the victims, forwarded all TIP cases to 
judicial authorities to seek justice, created social support centers 
in police stations to assist victims in liaising with relevant 
entities, offered tailored training courses for staff dealing with 
TIP victims, sought to learn different languages used by TIP victims, 
and analyzed the environments in which TIP victims are exploited. 
 
-- 29H.  The government protects individuals identified as 
trafficking victims and witnesses.  The quality of shelter facilities 
is not uniform (and too few currently exist to accommodate the full 
demand).  The UAE Red Crescent Society has announced plans to build 
shelters throughout the country. 
 
UAE Code of Criminal Procedures Articles 14 and 22 provide for legal 
assistance for victims.  Authorities have worked with international 
NGOs and source country embassies and consulates to provide shelter 
for trafficking victims.  Over the reporting year, hundreds of 
victims have been assisted by each of the shelters run by the 
Embassies of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.  Police 
departments claim to shelter victims in hotels and non-prison 
facilities.  The UAEG does not operate a safe house system.  Post 
does not have data on costs incurred by the UAEG to shelter victims. 
 
-- 29I.  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.  According to 
the UAEG, UAE embassies abroad collaborate with international 
organizations to combat TIP. 
 
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.  The police asked if the USG could 
provide training, and seemed genuinely eager for such training. 
Authorities in Dubai and other emirates said they are trying to 
pressure Central Asian states to interdict women, trafficked or not, 
traveling to the UAE for prostitution.  Dubai police asked if the USG 
could also pressure those countries. 
 
Other sections of this report address the wide variety of UAEG 
training programs designed to sensitize law enforcement and other 
officials. 
 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  013 OF 016 
 
 
On December 16, 2007, the Ministry of Interior hosted a workshop for 
two days about the compensation and repatriation of the children who 
worked as camel jockeys.  Representatives from Pakistan, Bangladesh, 
Mauritania and Sudan presented reports about the mechanisms used by 
their governments to spend the money allocated by the UAE for the 
camel jockeys' compensation and rehabilitation. 
 
-- 29J.  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. 
 
-- 29K.  The Government cooperates and coordinates with NGOs and 
international organizations in providing assistance to trafficking 
victims, as cases come to its attention.  It also proactively 
encourages international cooperation on the official and NGO levels, 
recent examples of which include the January 2008 labor conference at 
which representatives of both sending and receiving countries (those 
which supply and those which employ transient laborers) were invited, 
along with NGOs.  The UAE Ministry of Labor specifically asked the 
USG on the margins of that conference to help facilitate creation of 
an international NGO that could help address the complex issues 
associated with transient labor; the UAEG clearly recognized the need 
for and sought cooperation with capable international organizations, 
whether NGO or government affiliated. 
 
Another strong example of UAEG encouragement and facilitation of 
broader international cooperation against TIP was the February 2008 
UN.GIFT conference in Vienna funded by a donation of $15 million from 
the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.  The UAE delegation leader, who is also 
head of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, asserted 
publicly at that conference that:  "The donation was made out of the 
UAE's firm belief that the creation of a forum for other countries, 
multiple UN agencies, intergovernmental entities and the 
non-governmental sector all working together under a single banner 
would lead to unprecedented cooperation by the international 
community.  My delegation and I look forward to learning from the 
experts gathered here and to sharing our experiences."  He cited the 
centrality of international partnerships to the UAE's anti-TIP action 
plan (one of the plan's four pillars) and emphasized that "no country 
or region acting alone can put a stop" to TIP; he encouraged 
agreements between the UAE and NGOs in source countries. 
 
Other examples of UAEG support include assistance to UNICEF, the 
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). 
 Some of these linkages were utilized to great affect in the camel 
jockey repatriation effort, which the UAEG described as "joint 
efforts with national institutions and NGOs to better provide these 
victims with medical care, social counseling and education." 
Cooperation is also ongoing with a Moldovan NGO to seek ways to 
combat TIP. 
 
Paragraph 30 -- Prevention of TIP 
--------------------------------- 
 
-- 30A.  The UAEG acknowledges, forthrightly and publicly, that 
trafficking in persons is a scourge it seeks to combat.  UAEG senior 
leaders have noted repeatedly 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 
organized crime opens the country to organized crime in other areas, 
such as drugs or weapons smuggling.  Nonetheless, some officials 
still draw a distinction between those trafficked and those entering 
the country voluntarily; the nuances of trafficking, and coerced 
decisions attendant to otherwise "voluntary" travel to the UAE, are 
not always clear.  Workers who entered the country voluntarily or 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  014 OF 016 
 
 
have a valid labor contract are not uniformly recognized as 
vulnerable to trafficking.  During the reporting period the UAEG 
sought to sensitize more officers to the nuances of trafficking. 
 
-- 30B.  Public statements by senior UAE officials highlighting the 
TIP phenomenon and condemning its perpetrators are frequently 
featured in the English and Arabic UAE press.  These government 
efforts reach virtually the entire news-reading public.  The 
government actively encourages businesses to facilitate informational 
sessions for new workers to ensure that they are aware of their 
rights and know where complaints can be filed.  The anti-TIP 
committee has published and distributed pamphlets addressing the 
phenomenon of TIP and highlighting UAEG laws and actions taken to 
combat TIP. 
 
The publicity value of the February "UN.GIFT" conference in Vienna 
was also significant in increasing awareness of the TIP problem in 
the UAE and the region.  Additionally, the UAE hosted a first-ever 
gathering of labor ministers from labor sending and receiving nations 
in January 2008 to stimulate dialogue between source countries and 
employers.  Efforts to streamline the contracting process, ensure 
timely payment of wages, and generally strike a favorable balance 
between supply and demand for labor in the booming economies of the 
Gulf, were clear priorities of the UAEG during the reporting period. 
 
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. 
 
-- 30C.  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 and seeks improved regional cooperation on 
labor-related issues.  At a January labor conference the UAE Ministry 
of Labor specifically requested U.S. assistance in facilitating NGO 
activity in the field of transient labor and related humanitarian 
issues. 
 
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, Amnesty 
International, and Interpol to develop its anti-TIP training 
programs.  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 1,077 
children were repatriated in 2005 and 2006.  In December 2006, the 
UAE expanded the assistance programs provided in source countries to 
allow all former underage camel jockeys who had worked in the UAE to 
receive assistance and continues to follow up that program through 
UNICEF, NGOs, and diplomatic missions representing the countries in 
question.  Facilitation of the UN.GIFT conference in Vienna was 
another example of UAEG coordination with key international players. 
 
Between July and December 2006, the UAE signed agreements with five 
labor-exporting countries: Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri 
Lanka, to regulate the workforce flow.  Agreements with China, 
Thailand, and the Philippines have also been signed.  The goal is to 
prevent unscrupulous private recruitment agencies from offering 
laborers false contracts or inflated salaries that will differ from 
the actual conditions of employment.  The UAEG seeks increased 
cooperation with NGOs to exchange data and expertise in the field of 
labor migration. 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  015 OF 016 
 
 
 
The government-funded UAE Red Crescent Authority, an affiliate of the 
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 
announced in January and February 2008 that it will open shelters for 
victims of human trafficking in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and 
elsewhere in the UAE.  A shelter run by the Dubai Women and 
Children's Charity Foundation was established in 2007. 
 
-- 30D.  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 without legitimate visas, and the 
travel documents of women under 30 undergo particular scrutiny. 
Children from identified source countries must have their own 
passports, even though those countries may allow children to be 
endorsed on a parent's passport.  This measure ensures that each 
child has a visa in individual travel documents. 
 
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, 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. 
 
-- 30E.  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 Minister of State for 
Foreign Affairs.  There is no anti-corruption task force, but several 
anti-corruption units have been established within the Abu Dhabi 
police department. 
 
Meetings of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking take 
place almost monthly, often at the Presidential Court in Abu Dhabi. 
The Committee is authorized by Cabinet decree as the official UAEG 
conduit for international requests, inquiries, and delegations on 
issues related to TIP.  It deliberated the mechanics of fielding such 
inquiries at its third meeting in July 2007, with the goals of 
consolidating federal and local data, raising TIP awareness through 
information campaigns, and conducting training workshops for police 
officers and public prosecutors on identification of TIP violations 
and treatment of victims. 
 
In a subsequent meeting in September 2007, the committee highlighted 
the importance of a hotline and an e-mail mechanism to receive TIP 
complaints in the UAE, and scoped out six-month training plans.  In 
October the committee issued a paper summarizing anti-TIP goals and 
programs, and planned field visits to review TIP activities 
(including a senior level visit to the official shelter in Dubai). 
The November committee meeting addressed training of federal and 
 
ABU DHABI 00000382  016 OF 016 
 
 
local law enforcement officials as well as training of Ministry of 
Justice and Interior officials.  Training topics discussed, and 
identified in the press, included security risks associated with TIP, 
human rights aspects of TIP, investigation methodologies, and 
TIP-related data collection. 
 
The committee chair, who holds cabinet rank, led the UAE delegation 
to the February 13-15 UN.GIFT conference in Vienna that was largely 
funded by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince.  The committee coordinated UAE 
participation.  The committee also reviewed in February the 
four-pronged UAE strategy to combat human trafficking through 
legislation, focused law enforcement training, support to victims, 
and international cooperation. 
 
-- 30F.  The standing National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking 
is the focal point for coordinating national action against TIP and 
involves at a minimum the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, 
Justice, Labor, Social Affairs, and Health, along with State Security 
and the UAE Red Crescent Society.  All participant agencies were 
involved in formulating the four key goals of the plan, which include 
stronger legislation, focused training for law enforcement officials, 
provision of support to victims, and promotion of international 
cooperation.  The plan is articulated in somewhat more detail by the 
Committee chair through his regular media interviews. 
 
-- 30G:  Stating its strong desire to minimize demand for a 
commercial sex trade, which the UAEG views as "enforced labor" 
illegal under the UAE constitution, the UAEG conducted raids on 
suspect locations.  At least two popular clubs in Dubai that were 
associated with prostitution were closed in 2007.  In a conservative 
society which decries non-marital sexual activity (which is subject 
to criminal penalty), the UAE strongly discourages prostitution and 
applies legal means to pursue offenders.  That said, the UAE is 
extremely tolerant of foreign populations in its midst and some 
officials dismiss prostitution as a crime limited to the non-Emirati 
community.  One cannot accurately estimate the magnitude of the 
problem. 
 
Procedural notes 
---------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) POC for this report in Abu Dhabi is A/DCM Al Magleby, (tel 
+971-2-414-2490 and fax +971-2-414-2639).  Hours spent on the report 
(including time lost in sorting out how to economize the use of 
information in last year's report and finding that the questions had 
been rearranged without apparent reason), included over 50 hours by a 
locally-employed political assistant, 60 hours by FS-03 officers, 30 
hours by an FS-01 officer, and 5 hours by FE-OC officers.  Hours 
spent investigating and reporting on the TIP phenomenon were 
significantly higher.  A more streamlined and focused list of 
questions, in the same order from year to year, would help cut down 
on time consumption. 
 
QUINN