UAEG REPORTS ADDITIONAL TRAFFICKING PROSECUTIONS,

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001122 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA AND NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL AE TAGS SUBJECT: UAEG REPORTS ADDITIONAL TRAFFICKING PROSECUTIONS, JOCKEY REPATRIATIONS COMPLETE REF: ABU DHABI 1076 ¶1. (U) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided the following trafficking-related statistics as was mentioned reftel. Post is awaiting additional prosecutions statistics from the Emirate of Dubai where the majority of sex trafficking prosecutions take place. -------------- Camel Jockeys -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Col. Najm al-Seyyar, Director of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Center, reports that the final group of former camel jockeys (24 children) were repatriated to their home countries on March 22, and that there are no longer any children remaining in shelters. Col. Najm states that the Bani Yas shelter will remain open and operational in case any children are identified in the future. According to Social Support Center figures, there were a total of 1,071 children repatriated since July, 2005. The nationalities of the children are as follows. - Pakistan ) 573 - Bangladesh ) 316 - Sudan ) 157 - Mauritania ) 18 - Eritrea - 7 ¶3. (SBU) Col. Al-Seyyar said that, under directions from Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al-Nahyan, child jockey employers/sponsors were made to pay more than AED one million ($270,000) directly to the child victims, in proportion to the length of time that the children were forced to work for the employer. In on example cited, a child was awarded AED 86,000 ($23,300) for working 10 years for his sponsor. In order to ensure that the children actually received the money, Ministry official traveled with the children back to their home countries, opened bank accounts in their names, and deposited the money directly for them. ¶4. (SBU) MFA reported three new convictions for trafficking children as camel jockeys. The convicted persons were Pakistani and Emirati, and were sentenced in December 2005. All three cases were in Al Ain and resulted in fines of $2,700 (AED 10,000),and deportation for the Pakistani. -------------- Sex Trafficking -------------- ¶5. (SBU) MFA also reported that seven cases, specifically identified as sex trafficking, have been prosecuted in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Ajman in the past several months. The seven cases involve 18 persons and have resulted in 10 convictions with eight cases still pending. The convictions were on charges of sexual exploitation, instigation to prostitution, and running a brothel. The convicted traffickers are from Bangladesh (5),India (2),UAE (2), Indonesia (2),Bahrain (1),and the Philippines (1). SISON