VZCZCXRO8985
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHDO #0244/01 0911311
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311311Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7745
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DOHA 000244 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, NEA/ARP, NEA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ELAB QA
SUBJECT: QATAR: ADDITIONAL INPUT FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL 
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT 
 
REF: A. DOHA 172 
     ¶B. DOHA 171 
     ¶C. STATE 2731 
 
¶1. (U) The information below, which Post either received in 
the past week from from the Qatar National Office for 
Combating Trafficking in Humans (TIP Office) or otherwise 
just became available, details additional efforts to combat 
trafficking in persons (TIP) in Qatar during the reporting 
period for the 2008 TIP Report for Qatar.  Additional 
information includes cases assisted by the TIP Office, 
referral of at least one case to the Public Prosecution, 
movement on passage of relavent laws, a request for legal 
assistance, and public recommendations from a recent TIP 
conference in Qatar.  We recommend evaluation of this 
material for possible inclusion in the 2008 report. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Cases Accommodated in the TIP Shelter 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Since its establishment, the following cases have been 
accommodated in Qatari House for Lodging and Humanitarian 
Care (TIP Shelter): 
 
- Four Vietnamese referred by the Vietnamese Embassy.  They 
were sheltered until their disputes with their sponsor was 
settled, afterwhich they were repatriated.  (Embassy Note: 
The Vietnamese Embassy only very recently opened in Qatar. 
It is likely the workers were referred by resident Vietnamese 
diplomats or other nationals.) 
 
- Four Nepalese were sheltered.  They came directly to the 
shelter for assistance after they sued their liquidated 
company.  The TIP Office assisted them, in coordination with 
the Ministry of Interior (MOI), to transfer the sponsorship 
of three of the workers to another company; the fourth was 
repatriated in accordance with his wishes. 
 
- Two Moroccans referred by the Qatar National Human Rights 
Committee (NHRC) were sheltered as a result of their dispute 
with their sponsor over unpaid wages. 
 
- One Egyptian who sought the assistance of the TIP Office as 
a result of being abused by his company and for non-payment 
of wages. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
Assistance to Victims Not Accommodated at the TIP Shelter 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶3. (U) Additionally, the TIP Office assisted the following 
cases that were not accommodated at the TIP Shelter because 
accommodations were not needed: 
 
- One Moroccan whose company turned out to be a sham.  His 
sponsorship was transferred to another company in 
coordination with the MOI.  According to the TIP Office, this 
case has been transfered to the Public Prosecution as 
"fraudulent recruitment." 
 
- The TIP Office facilitated the sponsorship of a Syrian 
laborer after his company demanded payment in return for 
sponsorship transfer. 
 
- The TIP Office assisted the settlement of a dispute between 
four Ghanaian laborers and their company in cooperation with 
the Labor Department. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Additional Efforts by the TIP Office 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) The following highlights additional efforts by the TIP 
Office during the reporting period: 
 
- Based on a recommendation by the TIP Office, the number of 
labor courts was increased from three to four. 
 
- Based on a recommendation by the TIP Office, new procedures 
are in place between the courts and the Supreme Judicial 
Council whereby the courts must submit a monthly list of 
companies found to have violated the Labor Law and those that 
have been convicted in the courts. 
 
- An agreement was signed between the TIP Office and the 
Search and Follow-up Department of the MOI (responsible for 
the deportation of foreigners) to refer domestic workers and 
women with children to the TIP Shelter until repatriation. 
 
DOHA 00000244  002 OF 003 
 
 
Based on the agreement, four Indonesian domestic workers and 
their children (three girls and one boy) were housed at the 
shelter. 
 
- A letter was issued February 1, 2008 to the Director 
General of Public Security, MOI, to circulate the terms and 
conditions for accommodation in the TIP Shelter to all Public 
Security departments.  Since that time, the TIP Shelter has 
received 12 female domestic workers. 
 
---------------- 
Movement on Laws 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (U) A draft law "organizing the entry and exit of 
foreigners, their residence and sponsorship" and another 
protecting the rights of domestic workers were approved March 
26 and were sent to the Advisory Council - the last step 
before forwarding to the Amir for enactment. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Human Trafficking Conference and Recommendations 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶6. (U) A conference entitled, "The 1st Scientific Conference 
on Human Trafficking - Between Theory and Practice," was held 
in Doha March 12-13.  The conference was organized by the 
National TIP Office and Qatar University.  The well-attended 
conference attracted attendees and speakers from inside and 
outside of Qatar, including the Arab League, Johns Hopkins 
University (The Protection Project), UNICEF, UNODC, 
Alexandria University, University of Tunisia, Al-Jazeera 
Satellite Network, Qatari Police Training Institute, UAE 
Societal Police Department, Qatari Attorney General's Office, 
Human Rights Department of the Qatari MOI, Qatar University 
Law Faculty, and the Qatar National TIP Office. 
 
¶7. (U) During the conference, speakers recognized and spoke 
openly that people subjected to human trafficking are clearly 
victims and that they are recruited using coercion, 
deception, fraud, and sometimes abuse of power.  Many of the 
speakers called for enactment of an anti-TIP law in Qatar 
that conforms to international criteria, protects victims 
against punishment, allows victims to stay in the country, 
and concentrate, most importantly, on means of prevention. 
Mohammed Mattar from Johns Hopkins University noted that he 
had reviewed the draft TIP law for Qatar and had found it to 
in accordance with international standards. 
 
¶8. (U) One of the panels included the influential 
Egyptian-born Islamic cleric Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi who 
talked strongly against TIP, in all its forms, as an affront 
to Islam.  He included examples of forced labor, sexual 
exploitation, and domestic worker abuse in his discussion. 
Al-Qaradawi clearly stated that the current sponsorship 
system in Qatar must be reviewed because as is it constitutes 
mondern-day slavery in its present form. 
 
¶9. (U) The conference committee issued the following 
recommendations at the close of the conference: 
 
- TIP is recognized as an ethical, social, security and 
health problem with multiple dimensions and effects. 
 
- The necessity to study and analyze the reasons and 
fundamental causes that lead people to fall victim to TIP. 
 
- Each (GCC) country should establish an integrated 
information and database system for tracking TIP actions. 
Such systems should include legislation combating TIP, 
information of interest to criminal justice authorities, and 
types of assistance provided by the government to TIP 
victims.  The resulting information should be accessible to 
researchers and decision makers. 
 
- Establish integrated criteria for observing all forms of 
TIP that can be used for the preparation of TIP reports. 
 
- Establish an Arab and regional network, under the 
supervision of the Arab League, for the exchange of 
information and experiences related to combating all forms of 
TIP. 
 
- Increase societal awareness for combating TIP through 
educational establishments, mass media, civil society 
organizations, and religious organizations. 
 
- Integrate TIP into the general and university education 
curricula. 
 
DOHA 00000244  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
- Encourage research and specialized studies in the field of 
combating TIP. 
 
- Establish government-sponsored shelters for the 
rehabilitation and care of TIP victims. 
 
- Adopt training programs focused on upgrading the 
capabilities of law-enforcement personnel, civil society 
organizations, anti-TIP establishments, and the mass media. 
Make use of the UN Training and Documentation facilities in 
the field of human rights for the Southeast Asia and Arab 
region. 
 
- Review and reform national legislation and definitions of 
TIP behaviors to conform to international criteria and 
conventions. 
 
- Call upon the Arab League to expedite the issuance of a 
pilot integrated and comprehensive Arab convention for 
combating all forms of TIP and the reinforcement of Arab 
cooperation in the field of combating TIP. 
 
- Call upon the GCC Secretary-General to take the lead in 
coordination and cooperation for the promotion of TIP combat 
procedures between states in the region. 
 
- Call on each Arab country to issue an annual TIP report. 
 
---------------------------- 
Call for Judicial Assistance 
---------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) During a meeting at the Ministry of Justice with 
representatives from the American Bar Association (ABA) March 
25, the Undersecretary of Justice, Sultan Al-Suwaidi, asked 
for assistance in investigating and prosecuting what he 
called "white-collar" crimes, including TIP.  He noted that 
Qatar has laws on the books to combat such crimes, but that 
the legal system does not know how to use the laws.  The ABA 
agreed to develop a proposal for the ministry. 
 
-------- 
Comments 
-------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) While much of this new information, received long 
after we submitted reftels A and B, continues to be more 
rhetorical than concrete, there have been appreciable 
advances.  Never before has there been such public 
acknowledgement of TIP crimes in Qatar, especially among the 
large unskilled and low-skilled labor population.  Over the 
last three years, emphasis has moved rightly so from children 
(camel jockeys), to female domestic workers, to laborers. 
Post recommends evaluation of this material for inclusion in 
the 2008 report and possible effect on Tier ranking. 
RATNEY