Four human trafficking cases recorded in Oman: Ministry

Muscat: Protecting trafficked women is key, says a senior official from the Ministry of Social Development.
This comes after data released by the ministry showed that four cases of human trafficking were recorded between April and June this year.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Shams Al Hajri Director of the Family Protection Department at the Ministry of Social Development said: “It is very important to protect and ensure the safety of women who have been trafficked.”
“These women are usually domestic or beauty workers who have been scammed into believing that they are coming to Oman to work in a house or a saloon, but once they arrive are forced into prostitution,” Al Hajri added.
“The cases of human trafficking that were monitored revealed that the people being trafficked were all women from foreign nationalities,” the director said.
With regards to the actual process by which the Family Protection Department receive such cases, Al Hajry said, “ These cases are referred to us through the Public Prosecution or the Royal Oman Police, before we shelter them, all the women undergo a full medical check, to ensure they are not carrying any contagious diseases.”
“Once we are informed of a case, we shelter the women in Dar Al Wafaq, we house them for as long as they need until their case is done, this could take up to one year sometimes. In addition to their shelter, we are responsible for their food, their clothing, and security. Currently we are at maximum capacity at the shelter with 15 women, however, if we received a claim from the Royal Oman Police or the Public Prosecution, then we will accommodate the new women by placing beds in places such as the gymnasium,” she added.
This year’s figure amounts to an 84 per cent drop in the number of cases when compared to the same period last year, where the total number of cases recorded were 26.
In April this year, the Royal Oman Police arrested two expats for human trafficking. The expats were arrested on the coast of the Wilayat of Liwa when they were attempting to bring in drugs and illegal migrants. Last year, a nationwide Anti-Human trafficking campaign was launched by the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCHT). The campaign titled ‘Ehsan’ aimed to raise awareness among the general public and seek their engagement in the government’s efforts to combat this heinous crime.
The Department of Family Protection at the Ministry works in cooperation with various agencies concerned with human trafficking, in addition to cases of women and children who have been abused.