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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 MANAMA 000107 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, NEA/ARP, AND NEA/RA 
PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB
BA 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MANAMA'S INPUT FOR BAHRAIN TIP REPORT 
 
REF: A. 08 STATE 132759 
     ¶B. STATE 5577 
     ¶C. MANAMA 84 
     ¶D. 08 MANAMA 777 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Bahrain's government demonstrated a 
commitment to actively combating Bahrain's human trafficking 
problem.  At the same time, senior Bahraini officials 
recognize that they need to continue their efforts to change 
society's attitude toward TIP issues, and to educate 
officials on how to better address the problem.  Building on 
the enactment of a comprehensive anti-trafficking law in 
January 2008, the government successfully prosecuted its 
first case in December 2008.  That case resulted in a fine 
and prison sentence that exceeded minimum sentencing 
guidelines.  The government has also continued to work 
closely with the International Organization for Migration 
(IOM), and has committed its own resources to expand IOM's 
role in training government officials.  The government is 
working with the Suzanne Mubarak Foundation to host an 
international anti-trafficking conference in March.  We 
should consider recognizing and encouraging the GOB's TIP 
efforts by moving Bahrain from Tier Two Watch-list to Tier 
Two.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Post's point of contact for Trafficking in Persons is 
PolOff Steve Jacob,  973.1724.2834/202.448.5131, ext 2834, 
fax  973.1727.3011.  The preparation of the TIP report cable 
required an FS-04 to work 45 hours.  The responses below are 
keyed to ref A queries: 
 
¶3. (U) Ref A question 23 - The Country's TIP Situation: 
 
--A. (SBU) Sources of available information on trafficking in 
persons include host government officials, foreign diplomats, 
non-governmental organizations, and various newspapers.  The 
Bahrain Journalists Association has applied for a MEPI small 
grant that will help them train journalists to specialize in 
reporting on TIP and government actions to combat the 
phenomenon.  These sources vary in their reliability: the 
host government's information is couched in generalities and 
lacks hard statistics, many of the foreign diplomats and the 
non-governmental organizations focus on after-the-fact care 
for some migrant worker populations, and only English print 
media regularly carries stories on suspected trafficking 
cases. 
 
--B. (SBU) Bahrain is a country of destination and possibly 
transit for internationally trafficked men and women.  On 
rare occasions, minors seeking work have entered the country 
on falsified documents that disguised their true age.  It is 
unclear whether they sought and obtained those documents, or 
whether they were provided to them.  Trafficking does not 
occur within the country's borders.  The majority of 
trafficking victims are brought into the country to provide 
unskilled labor to support the construction and service 
industries, and to provide domestic labor.  Some women are 
trafficked as prostitutes.  There are approximately 520,000 
expatriates in the country.  Of these, the Indian national 
population, comprised of approximately 300,000 people, is the 
largest expatriate group, and by extension the largest 
 
MANAMA 00000107  002 OF 009 
 
 
potential group of victims.  Bangladeshi unskilled male 
laborers account for nearly 98,000 people, while Bangladeshi 
female laborers account for 2,000.  Pakistani nationals 
comprise the next largest group, with about 75,000 men and 
women of various skill levels in country. Domestic workers 
are not covered by labor laws, putting this predominantly 
female group at particular risk.  The majority of domestic 
workers are Indonesian (30,000), Sri Lankan, Indian, 
Philippine, Ethiopian, or Eritrean nationals.  Many Thai and 
Philippine nationals work in the service industry, and have 
been trafficked into prostitution.  There are rumors that 
women from other Arab countries - including Morocco, Jordan, 
Syria, and Lebanon - as well as China, Russia, Ukraine, and 
Vietnam have been trafficked into the country for 
prostitution.  There are also reports that male and female 
Nepalis have been trafficked into the country. 
 
--C. (SBU) Unskilled victims were frequently trafficked into 
conditions involving poor salaries, long hours, squalid 
living quarters, physical and/or psychological abuse, and 
heavy debts to employers and the recruitment agencies.  Some 
victims reported that representatives of recruiting agencies 
beat them upon arrival.  Victims trafficked for prostitution 
were reportedly restricted to specific floors of some hotels 
and kept incommunicado for long periods of time.  Those 
migrant workers who were able to leave their places of work 
were frequently charged as runaways, sentenced to two weeks' 
detention, and deported. 
 
--D. (SBU) Expatriates from non-Western countries frequently 
reported that their employers took their passports. 
Nationals from countries such as Sri Lanka and Ethiopia that 
do not have local diplomatic or consular representation are 
at a higher risk of becoming victims of trafficking.  The 
government and most NGOs focus on women as the most likely 
victims, and all shelters in the country are for women.  The 
government reported that it has a designated shelter for male 
laborers, however post has been unable to confirm this. 
 
--E. (SBU) The primary traffickers are employment recruitment 
agencies in both Bahrain and the sending countries.  The 
Interior Ministry's anti-TIP unit reported that it had 
encountered a number of Chinese and Russian prostitutes that 
it suspected had been trafficked.  The women refused to speak 
to investigators and were finally jailed, fined, and 
deported.  The regional U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement (ICE) office in Riyadh assessed that this might 
indicate some Russian Mafia and/or Chinese Triad involvement 
in trafficking.  In general, however, victims are recruited 
in their home country with lucrative job offers either by an 
employment agency or a friend in Bahrain, and given legal 
Bahraini visas upon arrival.  In many cases, sponsors sell 
workers so-called "free" visas, an arrangement under which 
the Bahraini sponsor ignores his legal obligation to employ 
the migrant and lets the migrant seek employment with a third 
party.  The workers pay their Bahraini sponsors between 500 
and 700 BD ($1325 and 
 $1850) every two years for this arrangement.  Workers caught 
working under the "free visa" arrangement are often charged a 
500 BD fine and deported, but most workers post questioned 
were unaware that the practice was illegal.  The authorities 
 
MANAMA 00000107  003 OF 009 
 
 
have deprived some "free visa" sponsors of the right to 
import new foreign workers.  Government regulations stipulate 
that employers using "free" visa workers should be fined 1000 
BD ($2650), however post has no information on fines actually 
assessed during the reporting period. 
 
¶4. (U) Ref A question 24 - Setting the scene for the 
government's anti-TIP efforts: 
 
--A. (SBU) The government acknowledges that trafficking is a 
problem in the country, and asserts that it is addressing the 
problem. 
 
--B. (U) The government's efforts fall into three broad 
categories: 
 
- (U) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs heads an 
inter-ministerial committee that coordinates policies 
designed to combat TIP.  Other members of the committee 
include the Ministries of Interior, Justice and Islamic 
Affairs, Social Development, and Culture and Information, was 
well as the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), and 
three NGOs:  the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), Migrant 
Workers Protection Society (MWPS), and Bahrain Women's 
Society.  (NOTE: The Tourism Directorate is part of the 
Ministry of Culture and Information.  End Note.)  This 
committee meets approximately every other month. 
 
- (U) The Ministry of Social Development heads an 
inter-ministerial committee that determines the status of 
victims, determines if victims are to be afforded the 
opportunity to remain in country, and follows up on victims' 
welfare.  This committee includes representatives from the 
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Islamic Affairs, 
Interior, and Labor.  This committee meets on an ad hoc basis. 
 
- (U) The GOB established a 10-person anti-trafficking in 
persons unit at the Criminal Investigations Directorate 
(CID).  The anti-TIP unit is comprised of a male commander, 
and nine female officers, including the executive officer. 
The unit coordinates closely with CID's Vice Squad and 
anti-economic crime unit.  Both the Embassy and the U.S. 
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) detachment at the 
Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain have developed a close 
working relationship with the anti-TIP unit. 
 
--C. (SBU) With the recent drop in oil prices, the government 
faces a steep decline in revenues and large budget deficits. 
The government will have fewer resources available to devote 
to combating trafficking.  More generally, the government 
often finds it difficult to coordinate activities, and 
implement and follow up on laws.  Many mid- and lower-level 
officials, and many ordinary Bahrainis, lack understanding 
and awareness of the trafficking in persons problem. 
 
--D. (SBU) On February 18, the government, in coordination 
with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 
conducted training on a newly installed IOM-developed 
database to monitor and collect data on trafficking efforts. 
In response to the congressionally-mandated U.S. TIP report, 
the government produced a report on its anti-trafficking 
 
MANAMA 00000107  004 OF 009 
 
 
efforts and a fact-sheet.  (NOTE: Post will provide these to 
G/TIP via e-mail.  End Note.) 
 
¶5. (U) Ref A question 25 - Investigation and Prosecution of 
Traffickers.  The government enacted a comprehensive 
anti-trafficking law in January 2008.  It has not enacted any 
new legislation since the last TIP report, but did imlement 
new migrant labor requirements for the prvate sector. 
 
--A. (SBU) On January 9, 2008, Bahrin enacted law number 1 
of 2008 with respect to rafficking in persons.  The law 
specifically proibits trafficking in persons for sexual and 
non-exual purposes.  The law defines trafficking in pesons 
as "the recruitment, transportation, transfe, harboring, or 
receiving of persons, by means o threat or the use of force 
or other forms of corcion, abduction, fraud, deceit, abuse 
of power r of position or any other direct or indirect 
unawful means." 
 
--B. (SBU) The law does not differntiate between purposes of 
trafficking; however rafficking of women, or persons under 
the age of15 are considered aggravating circumstances, as is 
the transmission of an incurable disease.  Any idividual 
convicted of any form of trafficking facs a prison sentence 
of not less than three yearsand not more than 15 years, in 
addition to a fin of not less than BD 2,000 (approximately 
$5,300 and not more than BD 10,000 (approximately $26,50). 
Sentencing under aggravting circumstances is doubled, and 
increases the maximum prison sentence to life.  Each 
corporate person convicted of trafficking in the name of, on 
behalf of, or to the benefit of the chairman, a member of the 
board of directors, or any other corporate official acting in 
their corporate capacity faces a fine of not less than BD 
10,000 (approximately $26,500) and not more than BD 100,000 
(approximately $265,000), in addition to the cost of 
repatriating the victim to their home country.  Slavery has 
been outlawed since 1929. 
 
--C. (SBU) Any person convicted of any form of trafficking 
faces a prison sentence of not less than three years and not 
more than 15 years, in addition to a fine of not less than BD 
2,000 (approximately $5,300) and not more than BD 10,000 
(approximately $26,500).  Each corporate person convicted of 
trafficking in the name of, on behalf of, or to the benefit 
of the chairman, a member of the board of directors, or any 
other corporate official acting in their corporate capacity 
faces a fine of not less than BD 10,000 (approximately 
$26,500) and not more than BD 100,000 (approximately 
$265,000), in addition to the cost of repatriating the victim 
to their home country.  Employers found guilty of imposing 
forced labor on employees are subject to imprisonment of up 
to ten years and/or a fine.  Court cases against employers 
were rare because plaintiffs often could not afford legal 
representation and were frequently barred from other 
employment. 
 
--C (cont). (SBU) On July 1, new foreign labor regulations 
took effect for private sector employees that match those 
that went into effect for government employees on January 1, 
¶2008.  These regulations do not yet cover domestic workers, 
including housemaids and gardeners.  Previously, the Ministry 
 
MANAMA 00000107  005 OF 009 
 
 
of Labor issued blank work permits to every registered 
corporation.  These permits, which did not identify a 
specific laborer, prohibited the employee from seeking other 
employment without the employer's permission.  Under the new 
regulations, the Ministry of Labor does not issue blank 
permits to employers, but works with the employer, the job 
seeker, and other government agencies to issue a work visa 
prior to the employee's arrival in country.  Upon arrival, 
the LMRA registers the employee's biographic data to prevent 
abuse or transfer of the visa.  The work visa is transferable 
to a new employer.  In addition, the LMRA charges employers a 
monthly fee of BD 10 ($26.50) for each expatriate laborer in 
order to ensur 
e continual reporting of expatriate labor and to reduce the 
demand for expatriate labor.  According to LMRA rules, this 
fee should not be passed down to the laborer.  Approximately 
75 inspectors regularly visit employers to ensure compliance. 
 
--D. (U) Rape of a female is punishable by a sentence of up 
to ten years in prison, and rape of a male can result in 
imprisonment of up to seven years unless the male victim is 
under 17 years of age, in which case the perpetrator can be 
imprisoned up to ten years.  The penalties under the 
trafficking law are more stringent, entailing both a fine and 
a prison sentence of between three and 15 years. 
 
--E. (SBU) Bahrain's Public Prosecution reported that Arfa 
Ching, a Thai national, was convicted on one count of 
trafficking in persons on December 23 (ref C).  The 
three-judge panel sentenced her to three and a half years' 
imprisonment and fined her BD 5,000 ($13,250).  Ching's was 
the first case prosecuted under Bahrain's Law to Combat 
Trafficking in Persons, enacted in January 2008.  According 
to prosecutors, she brought three Thai women to Bahrain under 
false pretenses.  When they learned she intended to employ 
them as prostitutes, one of them contacted authorities, who 
arrested Ching. The sentence exceeded the minimum sentencing 
guideline of three years' imprisonment and BD 2,000 ($5,300). 
 Bahraini media did not report on the outcome of the case. 
 
The government has closed several manpower agencies that were 
alleged to have confiscated workers' passports, switched 
contracts, or withheld payment of salaries.  However, aside 
from Ms. Ching, it has not prosecuted any employers or labor 
agents. 
 
--F. (SBU) The government has solicited the assistance of 
IOM, which was operating under a USG grant, to provide 
additional training outside of its grant mandate to 
government, diplomatic, and NGO shelter managers, officials 
of the Ministry of Interior, and police officers.  In 
October, the anti-trafficking unit invited an NCIS agent to 
observe and assist in the interview of three suspected 
trafficking victims.  In July, CID invited ICE and NCIS to 
provide anti-trafficking awareness training to law 
enforcement officials over a two-day period.  The GOB has 
also helped to fund IOM activities directly pertaining to the 
USG grant.  The Royal Police Academy provides new recruits 
with a short block of instruction on identifying trafficking 
victims.  The commander of the Academy confirmed to poloff in 
July that he intends to develop a full-length course for 
 
MANAMA 00000107  006 OF 009 
 
 
incorporation into the regular police training curriculum. 
 
--G. (SBU) Post has no information indicating that the GOB 
has participated in cooperative international investigations 
into trafficking cases.  The GOB reports that it stands ready 
to cooperate with international investigations, but has not 
received any requests to do so. 
 
--H. (SBU) There are no known trafficking-related extradition 
requests filed with the GOB.  Bahrain is party to a number of 
bilateral extradition treaties and some multinational 
arrangements, including the Arab Agreement to Combat 
Trans-Arab Organized Crime and the Arab Agreement to Combat 
Terrorism. 
 
--I. (SBU) There is no evidence available to post of official 
government involvement in or tolerance of trafficking. 
However, in activist and expat labor circles there are 
widespread rumors of unnamed officials providing Bahrainis 
with authorization to sponsor more expatriate workers than 
they could reasonably employ.  Expatriate laborers also 
report rumors that unnamed government officials in their 
private capacities, like some other wealthy Bahrainis, have 
withheld domestic employees' passports and salaries. 
 
--J. (SBU) Post has no information suggesting that government 
officials have been investigated or prosecuted for 
trafficking or trafficking-related offenses. 
 
--K. (SBU) Prostitution is illegal and all activities 
pertaining to prostitution are criminalized. 
 
--L. (SBU) Bahrain did not contribute troops to international 
peacekeeping efforts. 
 
--M. (SBU) Bahrain does not have an identified child sex 
tourism industry.  There were no reports of Bahrainis 
involved in child sex tourism, domestically or abroad.  The 
government did not provide information pertaining to any 
child sexual abuse laws that have extraterritorial coverage. 
 
¶6. (U) Ref A question 26 - Protection and Assistance to 
Victims. 
 
--A. (SBU) The government offers victims the choice of 
remaining in country or returning to their home country. 
During the investigation of Arfa Ching (ref C), the 
government took the statements of the three victims and 
offered them the choice between remaining in country or 
returning home; all three chose to return home. 
 
--B. (U) The government maintains one floor of its shelter 
for female migrant workers.  There were no reports of 
domestic trafficking victims.  There was a report in April 
2008 of a Sri Lankan woman who had lied about her age in 
order to bypass Sri Lankan and Bahraini border controls when 
she entered the country in 2003, but no reports of child 
trafficking.  The shelter did not respond to posts' queries 
regarding how many women used the shelter and the care the 
shelter provided.  The government shelter can easily 
accommodate 90-100 women at one time.  The government reports 
 
MANAMA 00000107  007 OF 009 
 
 
that it has a dedicated facility for men but post has been 
unable to verify the existence or nature of the facility. 
The Pakistani, Indonesian, Philippines, and Thai embassies 
all maintain their own shelters.  MWPS operates a shelter 
that is funded via private donations and grants from the 
Indian and Bahraini governments.  The Indian embassy in July 
agreed to award MWPS a 6,000 BD ($15,900) annual grant to 
operate the shelter provided tha 
t at least 60 percent of the women were Indian nationals. 
The GOB awarded MWPS a 3,000 BD ($7,950) grant to operate the 
shelter in response to a MWPS grant request.  MWPS reported 
that it failed to submit a renewal application to the GOB 
within the GOB's stated timeline, so this grant will not be 
renewed this summer. 
 
--C. (U) The government provides possible trafficking victims 
who seek aid at the shelter with legal, medical, and 
psychological services.  The government coordinates 
psychological care with the Batelco Care Center for Victims 
of Domestic Violence (Batelco Shelter) and all other services 
are provided at the government shelter. 
 
--D. (U) The 2008 comprehensive anti-trafficking law requires 
the committee led by the Ministry of Social Development to 
examine each trafficking case and determine if victims should 
be allowed to continue working in Bahrain with a different 
sponsor.  The law also requires the committee to reexamine 
the case every six months.  In the only prosecuted TIP case 
(ref C), the committee offered the victims the opportunity to 
remain in Bahrain and work with a different sponsor, but they 
chose to return home. 
 
--E. (U) The government does not provide long-term shelter or 
housing benefits to victims. 
 
--F. (U) The government does not have a referral process to 
transfer victims detained, arrested, or placed in protective 
custody by law enforcement authorities to institutions that 
provide short- or long-term care.  MWPS reports that many 
police stations tell MWPS to keep the worker, and alleges 
that many police officers are unaware of the government-run 
shelter.  In some cases, police officers have allegedly 
refused to grant MWPS access to possible trafficking victims. 
 
--G. (U) The government identified three trafficking victims 
during the reporting period.    MWPS reported that 88 
housemaids used its shelter in 2008 and over 350 since its 
inception in 2005.  The government did not provide any data 
on how many people used its facilities during the reporting 
period.  No other hard numbers were available.  Lack of 
statistics, disputes over what constitutes trafficking, and a 
general lack of understanding of trafficking make estimating 
the prevalence of the problem nearly impossible.  The 
anti-trafficking unit claimed it broke up a prostitution ring 
of 43 Chinese women that it believed were victims of 
trafficking, however, according to the anti-trafficking unit, 
prosecutors did not believe they had sufficient evidence to 
pursue trafficking charges.  The print media regularly 
carries reports of contract substitution, physical and 
emotional abuse, and confiscation of passports. 
 
 
MANAMA 00000107  008 OF 009 
 
 
--H. (U) There is no formal system to proactively identify 
victims of trafficking. 
 
--I. (SBU) Possible trafficking victims are often jailed for 
their illegal activity.  A senior Public Prosecutor told 
poloff that he believed that women who knew that they were 
coming to Bahrain to be prostitutes could not be trafficking 
victims, regardless of their circumstances upon arrival. 
Workers who have violated the status of their admission to 
Bahrain by leaving their employers are frequently jailed for 
two weeks and then deported.  Other workers who have 
overstayed their visas illegally are often jailed and fined 
before they may leave the country.  A January press report 
said that a 16 year-old Syrian girl and her husband had 
legally entered Bahrain and the husband subsequently forced 
the girl into prostitution.  The girl called the police, who 
arrested both her and her husband, and charged them with 
prostitution-related crimes.  When the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs learned of the case, it worked with the Ministry of 
Justice to secure the girl's release and return to Syria. 
The man was convicted an 
d sentenced to one year in jail under anti-prostitution laws. 
 He remains in custody. 
 
--J. (SBU) The anti-trafficking unit encourages victims to 
assist in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers as 
evidenced by the three victims who gave statements in the 
Arfa Ching case (ref C).  Victims who are material witnesses 
in court cases against former employers have been given the 
option to stay, although none have chosen to do so.  Victims 
who attempt to pursue civil suits against their employers 
have not been permitted to try and obtain other employment, 
although post has received no reports of victims attempting 
to do so since the new LMRA regulations went into effect July 
¶1. 
 
--K. (U) Post is unaware of any specialized training for 
government officials in identifying trafficking victims 
beyond that described in para 5F.  There have been no reports 
of Bahraini victims of trafficking abroad. 
 
--L. (U) There have been no reports of Bahraini victims of 
trafficking abroad. 
 
--M. (U) IOM is the only international NGO involved with TIP 
in Bahrain.  There were no reports of IOM's direct 
involvement with trafficking victims during the reporting 
period. 
 
¶7. (U) Ref A question 27 - Prevention. 
 
--A. (U) The anti-trafficking unit produced brochures on the 
trafficking law and distributed them to at-risk groups upon 
arrival in the country.  The LMRA worked with IOM to produce 
pamphlets that explained how to legally obtain a work visa, 
workers' rights, and provided contact details to report 
suspected violations.  The CEO of the LMRA and the Minister 
of Labor conducted press conferences that attempted to 
highlight some of the illegal practices that relate to 
trafficking in persons.  MWPS reports that although these 
campaigns have helped raise awareness, many people, including 
 
MANAMA 00000107  009 OF 009 
 
 
clerks at the courthouse, continue to believe that it is 
legal to confiscate workers' passports.  The GOB began a 
major informational campaign in advance of its hosting an 
international human trafficking conference March 1-3.  The 
Supreme Council for Women, headed by the wife of King Hamad, 
will host the conference in partnership with the Suzanne 
Mubarak Foundation. 
 
--B. (U) There were no reports that the government monitors 
immigration and emigration patterns for evidence of 
trafficking, nor that law enforcement agencies screen border 
entry points. 
 
--C. (U) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs heads an 
inter-ministerial trafficking in persons committee.  For a 
more in-depth look at the committee, see para 4B.  In 
addition, the government has just installed a multi-agency 
database developed by IOM.  Training on the database will 
begin on February 18. 
 
--D. (U) The government has not released any information 
pertaining to a national plan of action to address 
trafficking in persons. 
 
--E. (U) The government regularly raids brothels and arrests 
both prostitutes and customers.  The national religion, 
Islam, strictly prohibits commercial sex acts. 
 
--F. (U) The national religion, Islam, strictly prohibits the 
sexual exploitation of children.  The government denies 
allegations that its nationals may be involved in 
international child sex tourism. 
 
¶8. (U) Ref A question 28 - Heroes.  Post believes that the 
men and women of the MWPS are the everyday heroes in the 
fight against trafficking in Bahrain.  There are 38 
registered members of the society, of whom perhaps 15 
regularly dedicate their free time to ease the pain of 
trafficking victims and abused migrant workers.  Not one 
member of this organization has any formal training in social 
work.  Last year, post successfully nominated Marietta Dias 
as a TIP Heroine, but Marietta would have been unsuccessful 
without the rest of the MWPS.  This organization operates in 
a legal gray area as a humanitarian organization that 
advocates for better treatment while trying to avoid 
political advocacy that could turn the government against 
them.  MWPS volunteers sit on the inter-ministerial 
committees, take migrants to various ministries, liaise with 
foreign government embassies, and solicit funds to help 
repatriate workers. 
 
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ERELI