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RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHMS #0253/01 0881354
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301215Z MAR 09 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0272
INFO GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0002
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0014
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0001
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0005
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0005
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0005
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0011
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0002

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 MUSCAT 000253 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
SECSTATE PLEASE PASS TO LABOR DEPT AND USAID 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G-ACBLANK, AND NEA/AP 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (FORMATTING) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PGOV PREF SMIG ASEC MU
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MUSCAT INPUT TO THE 2009 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
(TIP) REPORT 
 
REF: 08 SECSTATE 132759 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  001.2 OF 009 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) This report covers anti-trafficking efforts by the 
Government of Oman (GOO) from April 2008 to March 2009. Paragraph 
three begins text. Compiling the report required 48 hours at the 
FS-04 level, 3 hours at the FSN-09 level, 6 hours at the FS-02 level, 
3 hours at the FS-01 level, and 3 hours at the FS-OC level. 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Embassy formally requested information from the 
government of Oman for the 2009 TIP report.  The GOO has promised to 
provide this information, but has not done so at this time.  Post 
will send an update as soon as it receives a reply from the 
government.  Following is a response to reftel questions (included 
for context). 
 
¶3. (SBU) PARAGRAPH 23 - THE COUNTRY'S TIP SITUATION: 
 
¶A. What is (are) the source(s) of available information on trafficking in persons? What plans are in place (if any) to undertake further 
documentation of human trafficking? How reliable are these sources? 
 
--The government of Oman established an anti-TIP committee 
in November 2008 and one of its listed responsibilities is to 
report statistics on trafficking; however, it has not yet issued 
its first report. 
 
--Embassies of labor-exporting countries provide most of the 
currently available information on potential trafficking cases.  This 
information is primarily based on first-hand experiences of 
housemaids and other low-skilled workers who have sought shelter in 
embassy-sponsored safe houses or other embassy services, including 
assistance with resolving contract disputes or their immigration 
status.  Individual stories are only reliable accounts of one 
personbs experience.  Due to the lack of comprehensive quantitative 
data, it is difficult to ascertain the size of the potential 
trafficking problem in Oman. 
 
¶B. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or destination 
for internationally trafficked men, women, or children? Does 
trafficking occur within the country's borders? If so, does 
internal trafficking occur in territory outside of the government's 
control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? To where are people 
trafficked? For what purposes are they trafficked? Provide, 
where possible, numbers or estimates for each group of 
trafficking victims. Have there been any changes in the 
TIP situation since the last TIP Report (e.g. changes in 
destinations)? 
 
--Oman is a destination and transit country for male and female 
workers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the 
Philippines and Indonesia. 
 
--Post has no reliable information suggesting a domestic 
trafficking problem. 
 
--Migrant workers are brought primarily to the capital 
area of Muscat, but also to other areas of Oman where additional 
labor is needed.  Oman also serves as a transit country for laborers 
seeking employment in the UAE. 
 
--Unskilled workers come to Oman to serve as low cost labor 
in both private industry and private homes.  Most potential 
trafficking victims are not trafficked into the country, but 
may find themselves in a trafficking situation 
after they arrive.  There is limited prostitution in Oman; many 
prostitution victims are recruited in-country from unskilled foreign 
laborers. 
 
--It is not possible to provide numbers or estimates for each group. 
 
--There have been no changes in countries of origin or destination 
since the last TIP report. 
 
¶C. What kind of conditions are the victims trafficked into? 
 
--Potential trafficking victims are employed as low-skilled laborers 
in Oman's construction, agricultural, and service sectors where 
some laborers complain of abuse, specifically 
accusing their employers of altering their contracts and illegally 
deducting or withholding part of their pay.  Some arrive in country 
with debt to recruitment agencies in their home countries that often 
exceeds 400 OR (USD 1,040) at 20-25% interest.  Employers almost 
always retain workers' passports. 
 
--Housemaids work in private homes with little to no oversight from the government or other bodies.  Some housemaids make allegations 
of non-payment of salary, long hours without food or rest, 
and verbal, physical or sexual abuse.  A relatively small 
number of housemaids (< 1%) run away and arrive at their 
respective embassies' safe houses without their passports 
or residency (labor) cards, which they claim their 
sponsors withheld.  Labor attaches at the Philippine, Sri Lankan and 
Indian Embassies in Muscat (protect) each report that they shelter an 
average of 15-20 runaway maids per month in their embassy-sponsored 
safe houses. 
 
--Some women working as prostitutes may be victims of sexual 
exploitation and/or trafficking.  While prostitution remains 
a relatively small problem and is illegal in 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  002.2 OF 009 
 
 
Oman, commercial sexual transactions allegedly occur in hotels, bars, 
brothels, and in some massage parlors and bhealth clubsb.  Contacts 
state that the sex trade in Oman mostly involves women from China, 
India, Morocco, Eastern Europe and South Asia. 
 
¶D. Vulnerability to TIP: Are certain groups of persons more at risk of 
being trafficked (e.g., women and children, boys versus girls, 
certain ethnic groups, refugees, IDPs, etc.)? 
 
--Men and women are vulnerable to different types of trafficking. 
Men are more vulnerable to forced labor situations as unskilled 
laborers; women are more vulnerable to abuse as housemaids. 
 
¶E. Traffickers and Their Methods: Who are the traffickers/exploiters? 
Are they independent business people? Small or family-based crime 
groups? Large international organized crime syndicates? What methods 
are used to approach victims? For example, are they offered lucrative 
jobs, sold by their families, or approached by friends of friends? 
What methods are used to move the victims (e.g., are false documents 
being used?). Are employment, travel, and tourism agencies or 
marriage brokers involved with or fronting for traffickers or crime 
groups to traffic individuals? 
 
--The primary agents of possible trafficking to Oman are unscrupulous 
labor recruitment agencies in sending countries and their sub-agents 
at the community level.  Many of these agencies may lure some workers 
into conditions of trafficking by providing them with false contracts 
for employment, either with fictitious employers or at fake wage 
rates; charging workers high recruitment fees at usurious rates of 
interest; and urging workers to enter Oman on tourist visas, fraudulently proposing this as the easiest and cheapest way to work in Oman. 
 
--Illegal immigrants may also become trafficking victims in Oman. 
Most illegal immigrants intend to transit Oman for work in the United 
Arab Emirates (UAE); some stay and find work in Oman as undocumented 
laborers.  Some of these illegal immigrants may have been victims of 
trafficking by networks of recruitment agencies and other entities in 
South Asia, the UAE, Oman and Iran.  Workers from as far away as 
Bangladesh have entered Oman via Pakistan or Iran, paying hundreds of 
dollars to agents along the way to facilitate border crossings and to 
transit the Gulf of Oman.  Contacts claim that some of these workers 
were promised work in Oman or the UAE, and in some cases told that 
Oman actually was the UAE, before being left along Oman's Batinah 
coast without documentation or employment contacts. 
 
--There are reports of an active black market for labor in which 
low-skilled workers in Oman's construction sector, for instance, can 
earn as much as five times their contracted daily wage, through 
temporary work with employers other than their original sponsor. 
Members of low-skilled workers' own ethnic and national communities 
may prey upon them, charging the workers high fees to arrange for 
alternative employment in the black market.  Despite the promise of 
increased earnings, undocumented workers can become vulnerable to 
abuse and exploitation based on their illegal status. 
 
--Some female immigrants are lured into prostitution, generally by 
nationals of their own countries, with promises of higher wages than 
they make as housemaids or as other service workers. Their 
participation in illegal prostitution provides an opportunity for 
exploitation. 
 
¶4. (SBU) PARAGRAPH 24 - SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S 
ANTI-TIP EFFORTS 
 
¶A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a problem 
in the country? If not, why not? 
 
--Some members of the government privately admit that there may 
be a problem with trafficking, although very few government members 
admit this publicly.  However, the passing of comprehensive TIP 
legislation and the creation of an anti-TIP committee is defacto 
acknowledgement by the government that there is a potential problem. 
 
--The government does not always acknowledge TIP due to a variety 
of reasons including a lack of understanding of the complex 
definition of trafficking (which is exacerbated by the translation 
of the term into Arabic).  Further, the government does not want 
to be seen as being unduly influenced by U.S. pressure and, 
therefore, may limit or slow its efforts to address the problem 
the more the USG publicly focuses attention on it. 
 
¶B. Which government agencies are involved in anti-trafficking 
efforts and which agency, if any, has the lead? 
 
--Oman's new anti-TIP law established a national anti-trafficking 
committee headed by an official of ministerial rank. The committee 
will likely include officials at the rank of Undersecretary or 
similar level from the ministries of Manpower, Justice, Social 
Development, Health, Finance, and Legal Affairs, as well as from 
the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the Public Prosecutor. 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  003.2 OF 009 
 
 
Once established, the committee will have a broad range of 
responsibilities including developing a comprehensive program for 
combating trafficking, setting up care and rehabilitation programs 
for victims, and collecting and reporting statistics. 
 
--The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which is responsible for the care 
and development of Oman's private sector workforce, independently has 
taken concrete actions to improve workplace conditions and worker 
protections (as outlined elsewhere in this report). 
 
¶C. What are the limitations on the government's ability to address this 
problem in practice? For example, is funding for police or other 
institutions inadequate? Is overall corruption a problem? Does the 
government lack the resources to aid victims? 
 
--At present, one of the biggest limitations on government action is the 
lack of technical expertise and staffing in front-line agencies, such 
as the MOM and ROP, necessary to screen and identify potential 
trafficking victims from among the thousands of worker complaints and 
illegal immigrants that each agency processes annually.  The 
government is taking steps to address this deficiency (see Paragraph 
25, F response). 
 
--Government corruption does not limit the government's ability to address trafficking in practice. 
 
--Funding for both police and victim aid is available. 
 
¶D. To what extent does the government systematically 
monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts - prosecution, 
victim protection, and prevention) and periodically make available, 
publicly or privately and directly or through regional/international 
organizations, its assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? 
 
--The new bNational Committee for Combating Trafficking 
in Personsb is tasked with: 
1) Setting up, through coordination with concerned parties, 
an action plan for combating human trafficking; and 
2) Drafting periodic reports on human trafficking based on court statistics, verdicts issued against perpetrators, results of the practical enforcement of the new anti-TIP law and measures approved by the committee. 
 
¶5. (SBU) PARAGRAPH 25 - INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
 
¶A. Existing Laws against TIP: Does the country have a 
law or laws specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons -- both 
for sexual exploitation and labor? If so, please specifically cite 
the name of the law(s) and its  date of enactment and provide the 
exact language [actual copies preferable] of the TIP provisions. 
Please provide a full inventory of trafficking laws, including 
non-criminal statutes that allow for civil penalties against alleged 
trafficking crimes (e.g., civil forfeiture laws and laws against 
illegal debt). Does the law(s) cover both internal and transnational 
forms of trafficking? If not, under what other laws can traffickers 
be prosecuted? For example, are there laws against slavery or the 
exploitation of prostitution by means of force, fraud, or coercion? 
Are these other laws being used in trafficking cases? 
 
--Yes.  bRoyal Decree 126/2008: Promulgating the Law Combating 
Trafficking in Personsb issued on November 23, 2008.  Copy of both 
the Arabic and English version of the law was sent to G/TIP via 
NEA/ARP. 
 
--The law covers both internal and transnational trafficking, with stiffer penalties for transnational crime.  In addition, it established a national anti-TIP Committee that is tasked with coordinating with all concerned authorities in Oman and relevant international organizations to set up measures and procedures 
capable of combating transnational human trafficking 
crimes. 
 
--This law defines trafficking as recruiting, transporting, 
harboring or receiving a person by instruments of coercion, 
threat, deceit, blackmail, or misuse of power, influence or 
use of authority over that individual, or by any other illegal 
instrument, either directly or indirectly; or recruiting, harboring 
or receiving a child (defined as a person below 18 years of age) 
even without the use of any of those instruments for the purpose of exploitation, which is defined to include prostitution, sexual 
assault, servitude, forced labor, enslavement, quasi-slavery practices, subjugation, or illegal detachment of organs. 
 
--The consent of the victim shall not be a determining factor if 
any of the instruments listed above was used, or the victim was a 
child, or the victim was in circumstances where it was not possible 
to determine his/her consent. 
 
--The new anti-TIP law prescribes imprisonment of 3 -7 years and a 
find of 5,000 Omani Rials (US$13,000) to 100,000 OR ($260,000). 
The law also specifies that no ruling may be issued to stay a 
punishment against a convict in a human trafficking crime and 
that it is not possible to go below the minimum punishment 
prescribed.  The penalty increases to 7-15 years 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  004.2 OF 009 
 
 
in prison and 10,000 RO (US$26,000) b" 100,000 OR (US$260,000) if the 
victim was a child or a person with special needs, the perpetrator 
carried a weapon, the crime was committed by more than one person, 
the perpetrator was a close family member, the crime was committed by 
a gang or gang member, the perpetrator was a public sector employee, 
the crime was transnational, or if the victim suffered permanent 
psychological or physical illness or injury. 
 
--Penalties are also prescribed for anyone who is aware of the crime of 
trafficking and does not report it, or for anyone who provides 
shelter or other assistance in aiding a traffickerbs escape from 
justice. 
 
¶B. Punishment of Sex Trafficking Offenses: What are the prescribed 
and imposed penalties for trafficking people for sexual exploitation? 
 
--The anti-TIP law covers sexual exploitation that meets the 
definition of trafficking, thus the penalties outlined in section 
A apply here as well. 
 
¶C. Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses: What are the prescribed and 
imposed penalties for trafficking for labor exploitation, such as 
forced or bonded labor? If your country is a source country for labor 
migrants, do the government's laws provide for criminal punishment -- 
i.e. jail time -- for labor recruiters who engage in recruitment of 
workers using knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers with the 
purpose of subjecting workers to trafficking in the destination 
country? If your country is a destination for labor migrants, are 
there laws punishing employers or labor agents who confiscate 
workers' passports or travel documents for the purpose of 
trafficking, switch contracts without the worker's consent as a means 
to keep the worker in a state of service, or withhold payment of 
salaries as means of keeping the worker in a state of service? 
 
--The anti-TIP law covers labor exploitation that meets 
the definition of trafficking, thus the penalties outlined in section 
A apply here as well. 
 
--Oman is not a source country for labor migrants. 
 
--The Ministry of Manpower issued a legally-enforceable administrative 
circular in 2006 that prohibits employers from withholding workers' 
passports.  The circular affirms existing Omani legal practice in 
which courts have ruled in favor of workers who lodged complaints 
against their employers to retrieve their passports.  The circular 
does not currently assign penalties to employers who violate the 
prohibition.  Article 20 of the 2003 Labor Law prohibits employers 
and recruitment agencies from charging workers for employment 
services or from bringing in foreign workers without a license, 
and assigns a penalty of up to one month in prison and 200 OR 
(USD 520) for these actions. 
 
¶D. What are the prescribed penalties for rape or forcible sexual assault? 
 
--The law criminalizes rape with penalties of up to 15 years in prison. 
 
¶E. Law Enforcement Statistics: Did the government prosecute any cases 
against human trafficking offenders during the reporting period? 
If so, provide numbers of investigations, prosecutions, convictions, 
and sentences imposed, including details on plea bargains and fines, 
if relevant and available. Please note the number of convicted traffickers 
who received suspended sentences and the number who received only a fine 
as punishment. Please indicate which laws were used to investigate, 
prosecute, convict, and sentence traffickers. Also, if possible, 
please disaggregate numbers of cases by type of TIP (labor vs. 
commercial sexual exploitation) and victims (children under 18 years 
of age vs. adults). If in a labor source country, did the government 
criminally prosecute labor recruiters who recruit workers using 
knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers or by imposing fees or 
commissions for the purpose of subjecting the worker to debt bondage? 
Did the government in a labor destination country criminally 
prosecute employers or labor agents who confiscate workers' 
passports/travel documents for the purpose of trafficking, switch 
contracts or terms of employment without the worker's consent to keep 
workers in a state of service, use physical or sexual abuse or the 
threat of such abuse to keep workers in a state of service, or 
withhold payment of salaries as a means to keep workers in a state of 
service? What were the actual punishments imposed on persons 
convicted of these offenses? Are the traffickers serving the time 
sentenced? If not, why not? 
 
--The government of Oman is attempting to compile statistics in 
response to these questions but has not provided the information 
at this time. 
 
--The government of Oman has brought trafficking charges under its new 
anti-TIP law.  The case was summarily announced in local press on 
March 2; additional information was made available on March 16. 
According to local media, young women who came to Oman to work as 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  005.2 OF 009 
 
 
waitresses, beauticians or nannies were approached by a man who 
recruited them into his prostitution ring.  The reports indicate that 
the primary offender is an "Arab national" and that there are Omanis 
among the accused.  At least one of the charged Omanis falls within 
the bpublic servantb clause in Omanbs anti-TIP legislation, which 
carries more severe penalties.  Updates on this case will be provided 
as more information becomes available. 
 
¶F. Does the government provide any specialized training for government 
officials in how to recognize, investigate, and prosecute instances of 
trafficking? Specify whether NGOs, international organizations, 
and/or the USG provide specialized training for host government 
officials. 
 
--Government officials have received training on how to detect and 
investigate instances of trafficking. The International Labor 
Organization (ILO) trained over 100 MOM labor inspectors on how 
to recognize the signs of trafficking during inspection of 
private companies. 
 
¶G. Does the government cooperate with other governments in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases? If possible, 
provide the number of cooperative international investigations 
on trafficking during the reporting period. 
 
--The government of Oman signed an MOU in 2008 with the government of 
India regarding the treatment of expatriate workers in Oman.  Oman 
has also worked with sending countries to identify and take action 
against recruitment agencies involved in trafficking. 
 
¶H. Does the government extradite persons who are charged with 
trafficking in other countries? If so, please provide the number 
of traffickers extradited during the reporting period, and the 
number of trafficking extraditions pending. In particular, please 
report on any pending or concluded extraditions of trafficking 
offenders to the United States. 
 
--There have been no reported cases of a third country requesting 
extradition of an Omani citizen for trafficking related 
charges.  Article 36 of Oman's Basic Law stipulates that criminals, 
including Omani citizens, may be extradited subject to international 
laws and agreements, but only in cases in which Oman has signed a 
bilateral extradition treaty with the country in question.  There 
were no requested extraditions of alleged trafficking offenders to 
the U.S. 
 
¶I. Is there evidence of government involvement in or tolerance 
of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? If so, please 
explain in detail. 
 
--There is no evidence of official government involvement in, 
or tolerance of, trafficking on any level.  However, at least 
one of the Omanis charged in the first case under the 
anti-trafficking law meets the definition of bpublic 
servant.b   No further information is available at this time. 
 
¶J. If government officials are involved in trafficking, 
what steps has the government taken to end such participation? Please 
indicate the number of government officials investigated and 
prosecuted for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related 
corruption during the reporting period. Have any been convicted? What 
sentence(s) was imposed? Please specify if officials received 
suspended sentences, or  were given a fine, fired, or reassigned to 
another position within the government as punishment. Please indicate 
the number of convicted officials that received suspended sentences 
or received only a fine as punishment. 
 
--The government has charged one bpublic servantb in a 
trafficking in persons case. No further information is available 
at this time. 
 
¶K. Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized? Specifically, are the 
activities of the prostitute criminalized? Are the activities of the 
brothel owner/operator, clients, pimps, and enforcers criminalized? 
Are these laws enforced? If prostitution is legal and regulated, what 
is the legal minimum age for this activity? Note that in countries 
with federalist systems, prostitution laws may be under state or 
local jurisdiction and may differ among jurisdictions. 
 
--The Penal Code criminalizes most aspects of prostitution, 
including the actions of pimps and facilitators of the sex trade. 
Article 220 ascribes a penalty of three to five years in prison 
against "anyone who incites, by coercion or menace, a person to 
commit debauchery or prostitution."  The punishment is not less than 
five years if the victim is under the age of 18. Article 221 further 
criminalizes the actions of pimps by assigning a punishment of three 
months to three years in prison and a fine of 20 to 100 OR (USD 
52-260) for "anyone whose living is based, in whole or in part, on a 
third party's earnings from debauchery or prostitution, either under 
his protection or influence."  Article 222 assigns the same penalty 
to the owners or managers of a brothel.  Article 222 criminalizes the 
act of prostitution and prescribes a penalty of three months to two 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  006.2 OF 009 
 
 
years for the offense.  Unless the government could prove incitement 
to commit prostitution under Article 220, the male client could only 
be charged as a secondary participant to prostitution under Article 
95 and would face one-sixth to one-third of the woman's sentence. 
These laws are enforced. 
 
¶L. For countries that contribute troops to international peacekeeping 
efforts, please indicate whether the government vigorously 
investigated, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced nationals 
of the country deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or 
other similar mission who engaged in or facilitated severe forms 
of trafficking or who exploited victims of such trafficking. 
 
--Oman does not contribute troops to international peacekeeping efforts. 
 
¶M. If the country has an identified problem of child sex tourists 
coming to the country, what are the countries of origin for 
sex tourists? How many foreign pedophiles did the government 
prosecute or deport/extradite to their country of origin? If 
your host country's nationals are perpetrators of child sex 
tourism, do the country's child sexual abuse laws have 
extraterritorial coverage (similar to the U.S. PROTECT Act) 
to allow the prosecution of suspected sex tourists for crimes 
committed abroad? If so, how many of the country's nationals 
were prosecuted and/or convicted during the reporting period under 
the extraterritorial provision(s) for traveling to other countries to 
engage in child sex tourism? 
 
--Post has no information indicating that Oman is either a source 
or destination country for child sex tourism. 
 
¶6. (SBU) PARAGRAPH 26 - PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
 
¶A. What kind of protection is the government able under existing 
law to provide for victims and witnesses?  Does it provide these 
protections in practice? 
 
--Under Article 5 of the new anti-TIP law, the government will be 
responsible for explaining the victim's legal rights in a language 
he/she can understand while allowing the victim the opportunity to 
provide an explanation of his/her status.  The law also specifies 
that the government will provide security protection to the victim or 
witness whenever deemed necessary. 
 
--Article 13 provides penalties of 3-5 years imprisonment for any 
person found guilty of using force, threatening, or promising 
a reward in order to prevent a person from testifying, or 
presenting evidence, or in order to coerce a person into 
presenting a false statement, or presenting incorrect 
evidence related to a human trafficking crime before the concerned 
authorities. 
 
¶B. Does the country have victim care facilities (shelters or 
drop-in centers) which are accessible to trafficking victims? 
Do foreign victims have the same access to care 
as domestic trafficking victims? Where are child victims placed 
(e.g., in shelters, foster care, or juvenile justice detention 
centers)? Does the country have specialized care for adults in 
addition to children? Does the country have specialized care for male 
victims as well as female? Does the country have specialized 
facilities dedicated to helping victims of trafficking? Are these 
facilities operated by the government or by NGOs? What is the funding 
source of these facilities? Please estimate the amount the government 
spent (in U.S. dollar equivalent) on these specialized facilities 
dedicated to helping trafficking victims during the reporting period. 
 
--The anti-TIP law specifies in Article 5 that victims 
must be taken to special lodging b" either medical or psychological 
rehabilitation centers, a shelter or "accommodation center."  The 
government of Oman is in the process of establishing these 
facilities. 
 
--The anti-TIP committee is tasked with setting up care and 
rehabilitation programs for victims to enable them to be 
quickly reinstated into the community. 
 
--Article 19 of the same law tasks the Public Prosecution with 
inspecting the places of accommodation for victims of trafficking in 
order to ensure that they are maintained within the specifications of 
the law. 
 
--Embassies of labor exporting countries provide services through 
embassy-sponsored safe houses, and through the offices of their 
labor attaches, to workers and domestic employees who may be 
victims of trafficking.  Private individuals and groups also 
provide support and accommodations. Omani authorities are 
aware of these embassy-supported and private activities.  These safe 
houses do not have official government sanction, however, and 
officials in these embassies report that the MOM has requested that 
they immediately refer all cases of their nationals seeking refuge to 
the MOM for investigation and resolution.  Embassy contacts report 
that these resolutions are generally acceptable to the complainants. 
 
¶C. Does the government provide trafficking victims with 
access to legal, medical and psychological services? If so, please 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  007.2 OF 009 
 
 
specify the kind of assistance provided. Does the government provide 
funding or other forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or 
international organizations for providing these services to 
trafficking victims? Please explain and provide any funding amounts 
in U.S. dollar equivalent. If assistance provided was in-kind, please 
specify exact assistance. Please specify if funding for assistance 
comes from a federal budget or from regional or local governments. 
 
--The anti-TIP law specifies in Article 5 that victims 
must be taken to special lodging b" either medical or psychological 
rehabilitation centers, a shelter or "accommodation center."  The 
government of Oman is in the process of establishing these facilities 
which the central government will fund. 
 
¶D. Does the government assist foreign trafficking victims, for example, 
by providing temporary to permanent residency status, or other relief 
from deportation? If so, please explain. 
 
--Article 5, Section D of the new law that if the investigation 
or trial finds cause, and it is ordered by Public Prosecution or 
the Court, the victim or witness may be permitted to stay in Oman 
on a case-by-case basis. 
 
--If an employer is found in violation of labor 
law (whether the violation is found to be trafficking or a lesser 
offense) and the immigrant employee does not want to continue working 
for that employer, he/she may stay in Oman if he/she finds a new 
sponsor.  The MoM allows up to one month for the employee to locate a 
new sponsor. 
 
¶E. Does the government provide longer-term shelter or housing 
benefits to victims or other resources to aid the 
victims in rebuilding their lives? 
 
--The anti-TIP committee is tasked with setting up care and 
rehabilitation programs for victims to enable them to be quickly 
reinstated into the community. 
 
¶F. Does the government 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 
(either government or NGO-run)? 
 
--The government does not refer anyone to embassy-run shelters. 
 
¶G. What is the total number of trafficking victims identified during 
the reporting period? Of these, how many victims were referred 
to care facilities for assistance by law enforcement authorities 
during the reporting period? By social services officials? What 
is the number of victims assisted by government-funded assistance 
programs and those not funded by the government during the 
reporting period? 
 
--There is no official information available regarding confirmed 
trafficking cases in Oman.  However, there is anecdotal data 
from source country embassies here that demonstrates the 
limited scope of potential trafficking victims.  Of the 
60,000 - 90,000 housemaids in Oman, less than 60 each month 
go to embassy sponsored safe-houses alleging any type of 
mistreatment.  Of the estimated 500,000-plus Indian workers 
in Oman, only 50-60 on average go each month to an open house at the 
Indian embassy, which is held to assist them with any type of labor 
or immigration issue.  Of these, more than 1/2 have overstayed their 
visa or in some other way violated Omani labor law and are seeking 
help to pay their fines and be repatriated. 
 
¶H. Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, and social services 
personnel have a formal system of proactively identifying victims of 
trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come in contact 
(e.g., foreign persons arrested for prostitution or immigration 
violations)? For countries with legalized prostitution, does the 
government have a mechanism for screening for trafficking victims 
among persons involved in the legal/regulated commercial sex trade? 
 
--Ministry of Manpower representatives interview all 
employees who are detained for running away from their sponsors to 
determine if there was any violation of labor law, including 
trafficking. 
 
--Oman has developed a mechanism for identifying trafficking 
victims among immigrant workers at private companies, based on 
input and training from the ILO.  This process incorporates 
reviewing bank reports, employment contracts and salary 
slips, and speaking privately with randomly selected individual 
workers at each site. 
 
--Prostitution is illegal in Oman. 
 
¶I. Are the rights of victims respected? Are trafficking victims detained or 
jailed? If so, for how long? Are victims fined? Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, such as those governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
--Article 5 of the new anti-trafficking law specifies that the government 
must make the victim understand his/her legal rights in a language 
understandable to him/her, allow the victim to explain his/her 
status, and refer the victim (as needed) to a medical or 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  008.2 OF 009 
 
 
psychological rehabilitation center, shelter or accommodations 
center. 
 
¶J. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking? How many 
victims assisted in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers 
during the reporting period?  May victims file civil suits or seek 
legal action against traffickers? Does anyone impede victim access to 
such legal redress? If a victim is a material witness in a court case 
against a former employer, is the victim permitted to obtain other 
employment or to leave the country pending trial proceedings? Are 
there means by which a victim may obtain restitution? 
 
--The government encourages potential TIP victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of crimes against them. 
 
--Article 17 of the new anti-TIP law states that a victim shall be 
exempted from paying the fees of the civil suit he/she files to claim 
compensation for the damages resulting from being abused in a human 
trafficking crime. 
 
¶K. Does the government provide any specialized training for 
government officials in identifying trafficking victims 
and in the provision of assistance to trafficked 
victims, including the special needs of trafficked children? Does the 
government provide training on protections and assistance to its 
embassies and consulates in foreign countries that are destination or 
transit countries? What is the number of trafficking victims assisted 
by the host country's embassies or consulates abroad during the 
reporting period? Please explain the type of assistance provided 
(travel documents, referrals to assistance, payment for 
transportation home). 
 
--There have been no reported cases of Omani nationals living 
outside the country who became victims of trafficking. Post 
is not aware if the government provides its officials in domestic 
agencies/ministries or foreign embassies with special training 
or instructions on how to identify, serve, or protect potential 
trafficking victims. 
 
¶L. Does the government provide assistance, such as medical aid, shelter, or 
financial help, to its nationals who are repatriated as victims of 
trafficking? 
 
--There is no evidence that Omani nationals have ever been 
repatriated as victims of trafficking. 
 
¶M. Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, work with 
trafficking victims? What type of services do they provide? What sort 
of cooperation do they receive from local authorities? 
 
--Local churches and Hindu temples work with allegedly mistreated 
domestic workers who may be trafficking victims in embassy-sponsored 
shelters, providing supplies and services for the women there.  A 
charity, registered as a religious organization, provides funding for 
the matron at the Indian Embassybs shelter (please protect). 
 
¶7. (SBU) PARAGRAPH b" 27 PREVENTION 
 
¶A. Did the government conduct anti-trafficking information or education 
campaigns during the reporting period? If so, briefly describe the 
campaign(s), including their objectives and effectiveness. Please 
provide the number of people reached by such awareness efforts, if 
available. Do these campaigns target potential trafficking victims 
and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g. "clients" of prostitutes or 
beneficiaries of forced  labor)? (Note: This can be an especially 
noteworthy effort where prostitution is legal.  End Note.) 
 
-- Ministry of Manpower (MoM) representatives traveled throughout 
the country to conduct seminars for workers in private industry to 
outline the rights of workers.  This included information on laws 
concerning salary payment, trade unions and trafficking related 
practices such as the confiscation of passports and identification 
cards. 
 
--The MoM published a brochure in thirteen languages titled 
"Guidelines for Foreign Manpower in the Sultanate of 
Oman" which is used to educate low-skilled foreign workers.  The 
brochure highlights rights and services to which all workers are 
legally entitled, including: health and personal injury insurance; 
adequate compensation for overtime work; and the right to strike in 
accordance with Omani law.  The brochure lists the MOM's 24-hour 
labor abuse hotline number and instructs workers to contact the MOM 
if they have a complaint about their sponsor or working conditions. 
The MOM distributes the brochure to source country embassies and 
provides new workers with the brochures at airports, recruitment 
agencies and in their places of work. 
 
¶B. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration 
patterns for evidence of trafficking? Do law enforcement 
agencies screen for potential trafficking victims along 
borders? 
 
--The government has not yet established a formal procedure 
to monitor immigration and emigration patterns for victims 
of trafficking in persons.  However, the ROP interviews every 
departing worker at the airport; if the 
 
MUSCAT 00000253  009.2 OF 009 
 
 
worker has an unresolved complaint against his or her sponsor, such 
as unpaid or withheld wages, the immigration official will refer the 
worker to the MOM for further investigation of the complaint.  In 
order to capture data from these kinds of interviews, officials at 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) state that the government plans 
to begin working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 
(UNODC) to develop a central database for trafficking-related 
information in Oman. 
 
¶C. Is there a mechanism for coordination and communication 
between various agencies, internal, international, and 
multilateral on trafficking-related matters, such as a 
multi-agency working group or a task force? 
 
--Oman's new anti-TIP law established a national anti-trafficking 
committee headed by an official of ministerial rank.  The committee 
will include officials at the rank of Undersecretary or similar level 
from the ministries of Manpower, Justice, Social Development, Health, 
Finance, and Legal Affairs, as well as from the Royal Oman Police 
(ROP) and the Public Prosecutor.  Once established, the committee 
will assume responsibility for: creating a comprehensive program to 
combat TIP; researching TIP and its manifestations; conducting public 
awareness campaigns; coordinating with government ministries, law 
enforcement, civil society and international organizations; 
establishing a data base of related international legislation and 
studies on methods of trafficking and traffickers; setting up 
rehabilitation services for victims; creating rules and regulations 
to enhance border control and supervision; drafting periodic reports 
on TIP; and organizing and conducting training. 
 
¶D. Does the government have a national plan of action to address trafficking 
in persons? If the plan was developed during the reporting period, 
which agencies were involved in developing it? Were NGOs consulted in 
the process? What steps has the government taken to implement the 
action plan? 
 
--In article 23 of the anti-TIP law, the Committee to Combat Trafficking is tasked with setting up an action plan to combat trafficking.  This plan has not yet been drafted. 
 
E: What measures has the government taken during the reporting period 
to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts? 
 
--Oman has not conducted a public awareness campaign to 
reduce demand for commercial sex acts; however, sources indicate that 
Oman does not have a significant sex trafficking problem. 
 
¶F. Required of all Posts: What measures has the government taken 
during the reporting period to reduce the participation in 
international child sex tourism by nationals of the country? 
 
--Post has no information indicating that Oman is either 
a source or destination country for child sex tourism. 
 
¶G. Required of posts in countries that have contributed over 100 
troops to international peacekeeping efforts: What measures has the 
government adopted to ensure that its nationals who are deployed 
abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission do not 
engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking or exploit 
victims of such trafficking? 
 
--Oman does not contribute troops to international peacekeeping efforts. 
 
¶8. (U) Post contact is Myca Craven, Political/Economic Officer, 
CravenMR@state.gov. (968) 2464 3718 (office), (968) 9925 1101 (cell). 
 
GRAPPO