QATAR: INPUT FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 DOHA 000172

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, DRL/ILCSR, PRM, IWI, NEA/ARP,
NEA/RA, USAID
LABOR FOR ILAB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ELAB QA
SUBJECT: QATAR: INPUT FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN
PERSONS (TIP) REPORT - PART II OF II

REF: STATE 2731


1. (SBU) Paragraph 29. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS:


A. (SBU) 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.

- In 2005, the government opened a shelter for trafficking
victims to serve the needs of abused domestic workers, other
laborers and children. The shelter is in a small housing
compound and is comprised of fully furnished three-bedroom
villas, with two villas each for men, women and children.
Each villa can accommodate up to seven people. The shelter
is under the management of the National TIP Coordinator. As
of November 2007, 14 victims (nine women, four men, and one
child) have been housed in the shelter. The shelter is
underutilized because of a lack of awareness of its existence
and also because it is primarily seen as a shelter for women
and children. Potential victims in the labor sector have not
had wide-spread access to the shelter. The government has
stated that it hopes to construct a larger shelter to
accommodate potential labor victims.


B. (SBU) Does the country have victim care facilities which
are accessible to trafficking victims?

- The administrative building of the TIP shelter houses a
health clinic with a medical doctor working on site. Mental
health services are available to the victims.

Do foreign victims have the same access to care as domestic
trafficking victims?

- There are no known cases of domestic trafficking.

Does the country have specialized facilities dedicated to
helping victims of trafficking?

- The TIP shelter provides assistance to workers who have
suffered from abuse in the form of payment of back wages and
repatriation, and it will facilitate change of employer
rather than deportation in cases where abuse has been proven.
The shelter has provided financial support to some of the
victims. The shelter also pays for the lodgers' calls to
their families back home and provides them with personal
necessities. TIP victims lodged in the shelter are not
repatriated unless they wish. Legal assistance is also
available to the victims while in the shelter. The
government has widely publicized the existence of the shelter
and the hotlines in local newspapers, on TV (local and
regional),and via brochures, posters, and leaflets.

If so, can post provide the number of victims placed in these
care facilities during the reporting period?

- Unknown; statistics not provided. A newspaper interview by
the National Coordinator for TIP from November 12, 2007 noted
that the shelter has provided services for 14 TIP victims
(nine women, four men, and one child),some of which were
determined to be "quasi-trafficking" cases. Besides the 14,
the shelter has provided services for 86 "humanitarian" cases.

What is the funding source of these facilities?

- The facility is government-funded.

Please estimate the amount the government spent (in U.S.

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dollar equivalent) on these specialized facilities dedicated
to helping trafficking victims during the reporting period.

- Unknown; statistics not provided.

Does the government provide trafficking victims with access
to legal, medical and psychological services?

- Legal, medical and psychological services are available at
the shelter.

If so, please specify the kind of assistance provided, and
the number of victims assisted, if available.

- Unknown; statistics not provided.


C. (SBU) Does the government provide funding or other forms
of support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or international
organizations for services to trafficking victims?

- The government is not known to provide funding or other
forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to
victims. According to the NHRC, the government provides
unlimited financial support for the NHRC and the TIP Office
to provide services for TIP victims.

Please explain and provide any funding amounts in U.S.
dollar equivalent.

- Unknown.

If assistance provided is in-kind, please specify exact
assistance.

- Unknown.

Please explain if funding for assistance comes from a federal
budget or from regional or local governments.

- N/A.


D. (SBU) 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)?


- Health care facilities have instituted a system to refer
suspected abuse cases to the TIP shelter for investigation.
No other system has been noted.

What is the number of victims identified during the reporting
period?

- Unknown; statistics not provided.

Has the government developed and implemented 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?

- No. Potential victims of trafficking are generally
deported. They are placed in the Deportation Detention
Center pending resolution of their cases.

How many victims were referred for assistance by law
enforcement authorities during the reporting period?


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- Unknown; statistics not provided.


E. (SBU) 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?

- N/A.


F. (SBU) Are the rights of victims respected?

- The rights of laborers and domestic workers are generally
not respected.

Are trafficking victims detained or jailed?

- They are often treated as criminals. Laborers are often
kept in the Deportation Detention Center until their civil
cases with their sponsors are resolved. Domestic workers are
also detained and placed in the Deportation Detention Center.
After their cases have been resolved, they are deported, but
sometimes only after long administrative delays.

If detained or jailed, for how long?

- The length of detainment varies greatly. A visit to the
Deportation Detention Center by embassy officials found 1400
workers detained and awaiting deportation. Some had been
detained for more than a year.

Are victims fined?

- Some victims are also fined if they are found to be in
violation of immigration or other laws.

Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, such as
those governing immigration or prostitution?

- Many victims are subjected to immigration violations, even
if the violations are the fault of their sponsors.


G. (SBU) Does the government encourage victims to assist in
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking?

- The government encourages some victims to assist in their
own cases of abuse or withholding of pay.

How many victims assisted in the investigation and
prosecution of traffickers during the reporting period?

- Unknown; statistics not provided.

May victims file civil suits or seek legal action against
traffickers?

- Laborers may file civil suits within the purview of the
labor law against their employers. Domestic workers are not
covered under the labor law.

Does anyone impede victim access to such legal redress?

- Some sponsors and employers have been known to threaten
victims in an attempt to keep them from seeking 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?



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N
DOHA 00000172 005 OF 008



- Unknown; statistics not provided.


I. (SBU) 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?

- Yes. The National Office for Combating TIP and the Human
Rights Office of the Ministry of Interior conducted a
workshops on the legal, social and security dimensions of
TIP. Participants have included a selection of police
officers, Internal Security Force staff and other personnel
related to this subject. The purpose of the workshop was to
"deepen the awareness of the notions related to the combating
of TIP and the activation of the role of organizations and
security bodies for active participation and confrontation of
this crime and its combat and protection of its victims who
are mostly children, women and housemaids." TIP training has
been incorporated into basic and continuing training at the
police academy.

Does the government provide training on protections and
assistance to its embassies and consulates in foreign
countries that are destination or transit countries?

- Unknown.

Does it urge those embassies and consulates to develop
ongoing relationships with NGOs and IOs that serve trafficked
victims?

- Unknown.

What is the number of trafficking victims assisted by the
host country's embassies or consulates abroad during the
reporting period?

- No known cases.

Please explain the level of assistance. For example, did the
host government provide travel documents for the victim to
repatriate, did the host government contact NGOs in either
the source or destination countries to ensure the victim
received adequate assistance, did the host government pay for
the transportation home for a victim's repatriation, etc.

- No known cases.


J. (SBU) Does the government provide assistance, such as
medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its nationals who
are repatriated as victims of trafficking?

- No known cases.


K. (SBU) Which international organizations or NGOs, if any,
work with trafficking victims?

- The Solidarity Center is working with expatriate community
support groups to help assist trafficking victims.

What type of services do they provide?

- Networking and consultation.

What sort of cooperation do they receive from local
authorities?

- Thus far, non-interference.

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How much funding (in U.S. Dollar Equivalent) did NGOs and
international organizations receive from the host government
for victim assistance during the reporting period? Please
disaggregate funding for prevention and public awareness
efforts from victim assistance funding.

- The government is not known to provide funding or other
forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to
victims.


2. (SBU) Paragraph 30. PREVENTION:


A. (SBU) Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is
a problem in the country? If not, why not?

- The government has an uneven record in acknowledging TIP.
Most stakeholders admit that child labor, some trafficking of
female domestic workers, and limited trafficking for sexual
exploitation occurs, but few acknowledge the problems
experienced by laborers as potential trafficking issues.
Officials often characterize situations of exploitation or
coerced labor as labor disputes falling under the purview of
the labor law.


B. (SBU) Are there, or have there been, government-run anti-
trafficking information or education campaigns conducted
during the reporting period?

- Yes.

If so, briefly describe the campaign(s),including their
objectives and effectiveness.

- The National Office for Combating TIP continued to carry
out its media action plan. Activities have included the
publication and distribution of informational brochures in
several targeted languages, distribution of posters in
different languages, radio and TV interviews in local and
regional media outlets, TV and radio commercials, and a media
campaign entitled "No to Trafficking." While the focus has
been primarily on women and children, the plight of abused
and forced labor was also addressed. The Office has directed
educational institutes and training centers in Qatar to
include the concept of TIP, its reasons and its negative
effects on society in their curriculum. The TIP National
Coordinator developed a curriculum on TIP in cooperation with
the legal expert at the Human Rights Office of the Ministry
of the Interior to be taught at the Supreme Judicial Council
and Ministry of Interior. The TIP Office increased
government awareness of TIP to include migrant laborers who
fall victim to delusion and fraud and who are forced to work
in illegal jobs, whether with pay or without payment. To
combat this, a circular was distributed to all concerned
departments in the Ministry of Interior and other concerned
ministries to abide by this definition and to apply it when
identifying TIP crimes or investigating TIP victims.

Please provide the number of people reached by such awareness
efforts if available.

- Unknown.

Do these campaigns target potential trafficking victims
and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g., "clients" of
prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor)?

- None known this reporting period. The TIP Office held the
first of what was to be a series of forums with labor

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recruitment agencies in September of last year. It was
attended by representatives of 42 labor agencies in presence
of representatives from the Labor Department and the Research
and Follow-up Department of the Ministry of the Interior. It
focused on delivering TIP awareness to the labor agencies and
making recommendations to authorities concerned with
anti-trafficking.


C. (SBU) What is the relationship between government
officials, NGOs, other relevant organizations and other
elements of civil society on the trafficking issue?

- The government is cooperating with quasi-independent
organizations such as the National Human Rights Committee and
the Qatar Foundation for Women and Children Protection on
anti-trafficking efforts. There are no independent civil
society or non- governmental organizations (national or
international) active in anti-trafficking efforts.


D. (SBU) Does the government monitor immigration and
emigration patterns for evidence of trafficking?

- It monitors immigration and emigration patterns for
evidence of trafficking. It previously strengthened visa
regulations as a result of shifts in immigration patterns
showing evidence of probable prostitution-related activities.

Do law enforcement agencies screen for potential trafficking
victims along borders?

- The government monitors its land border but is not able
comprehensively to monitor its extensive shoreline. There
were no reported arrests or incidents.


E. (SBU) 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?

- Human rights offices have been established at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior to address
TIP issues. The Supreme Council for Family Affairs is
currently the lead organization for coordination and
communication between various internal agencies.

Does the government have a trafficking in persons working
group or single point of contact?

- The government has a National TIP Coordinator under the
Supreme Council for Family Affairs.

Does the government have a public corruption task force?

- Yes. Update.


F. (SBU) Does the government have a national plan of action
to address trafficking in persons?

- The government has a national plan of action to address
trafficking in persons. The plan specifies victims of TIP
among: child camel jockeys; women exposed to sexual
exploitation; and incoming workers.

If so, which agencies were involved in developing it?

- Representatives from the Supreme Council for Family
Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Supreme Judicial
Council, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Civil Service and

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Housing (Labor Department),General Prosecutor, General
Health Authority, and the Qatar Foundation for Women and
Children Protection were involved in developing the plan of
action.

Were NGOs consulted in the process?

- Representatives from the National Human Rights Committee, a
quasi-independent human rights organization, were involved in
this process as well. No independent NGOs are known to have
participated.

What steps has the government taken to disseminate the action
plan?

- The government has not publicly disseminated the action
plan.


G. (SBU) For all posts: As part of the new criteria added to
the TVPA's minimum standards by the 2005 TVPRA, what measures
has the government taken during the reporting period to
reduce the demand for commercial sex acts? (see ref B,
para. 9(3) for examples)

- Unknown.


H. (SBU) Required of Posts in EU countries and posts in
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Singapore,
South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong: As part of the new
criteria added to the TVPA's minimum standards by the 2005
TVPRA, what measures has the government taken during the
reporting period to reduce the participation in international
child sex tourism by nationals of the country?

- N/A.


I. (SBU) 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?

- Unknown, no information provided.


3. (U) Embassy Point of Contact is Political Officer, Timothy

J. Fingarson; Tel. 974 496-6753; Fax 974 487-3317. One
FS-04 officer spent 45 hours in the preparation of this
report cable.
RATNEY