QATAR: ADDITIONAL INPUT FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DOHA 000244

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP, NEA/ARP, NEA/RA

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

REF: A. DOHA 172

B. DOHA 171

C. STATE 2731


1. (U) The information below, which Post either received in
the past week from from the Qatar National Office for
Combating Trafficking in Humans (TIP Office) or otherwise
just became available, details additional efforts to combat
trafficking in persons (TIP) in Qatar during the reporting
period for the 2008 TIP Report for Qatar. Additional
information includes cases assisted by the TIP Office,
referral of at least one case to the Public Prosecution,
movement on passage of relavent laws, a request for legal
assistance, and public recommendations from a recent TIP
conference in Qatar. We recommend evaluation of this
material for possible inclusion in the 2008 report.

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Cases Accommodated in the TIP Shelter
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2. (U) Since its establishment, the following cases have been
accommodated in Qatari House for Lodging and Humanitarian
Care (TIP Shelter):

- Four Vietnamese referred by the Vietnamese Embassy. They
were sheltered until their disputes with their sponsor was
settled, afterwhich they were repatriated. (Embassy Note:
The Vietnamese Embassy only very recently opened in Qatar.
It is likely the workers were referred by resident Vietnamese
diplomats or other nationals.)

- Four Nepalese were sheltered. They came directly to the
shelter for assistance after they sued their liquidated
company. The TIP Office assisted them, in coordination with
the Ministry of Interior (MOI),to transfer the sponsorship
of three of the workers to another company; the fourth was
repatriated in accordance with his wishes.

- Two Moroccans referred by the Qatar National Human Rights
Committee (NHRC) were sheltered as a result of their dispute
with their sponsor over unpaid wages.

- One Egyptian who sought the assistance of the TIP Office as
a result of being abused by his company and for non-payment
of wages.

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Assistance to Victims Not Accommodated at the TIP Shelter
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3. (U) Additionally, the TIP Office assisted the following
cases that were not accommodated at the TIP Shelter because
accommodations were not needed:

- One Moroccan whose company turned out to be a sham. His
sponsorship was transferred to another company in
coordination with the MOI. According to the TIP Office, this
case has been transfered to the Public Prosecution as
"fraudulent recruitment."

- The TIP Office facilitated the sponsorship of a Syrian
laborer after his company demanded payment in return for
sponsorship transfer.

- The TIP Office assisted the settlement of a dispute between
four Ghanaian laborers and their company in cooperation with
the Labor Department.

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Additional Efforts by the TIP Office
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4. (U) The following highlights additional efforts by the TIP
Office during the reporting period:

- Based on a recommendation by the TIP Office, the number of
labor courts was increased from three to four.

- Based on a recommendation by the TIP Office, new procedures
are in place between the courts and the Supreme Judicial
Council whereby the courts must submit a monthly list of
companies found to have violated the Labor Law and those that
have been convicted in the courts.

- An agreement was signed between the TIP Office and the
Search and Follow-up Department of the MOI (responsible for
the deportation of foreigners) to refer domestic workers and
women with children to the TIP Shelter until repatriation.

DOHA 00000244 002 OF 003


Based on the agreement, four Indonesian domestic workers and
their children (three girls and one boy) were housed at the
shelter.

- A letter was issued February 1, 2008 to the Director
General of Public Security, MOI, to circulate the terms and
conditions for accommodation in the TIP Shelter to all Public
Security departments. Since that time, the TIP Shelter has
received 12 female domestic workers.

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Movement on Laws
--------------


5. (U) A draft law "organizing the entry and exit of
foreigners, their residence and sponsorship" and another
protecting the rights of domestic workers were approved March
26 and were sent to the Advisory Council - the last step
before forwarding to the Amir for enactment.

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Human Trafficking Conference and Recommendations
-------------- ---


6. (U) A conference entitled, "The 1st Scientific Conference
on Human Trafficking - Between Theory and Practice," was held
in Doha March 12-13. The conference was organized by the
National TIP Office and Qatar University. The well-attended
conference attracted attendees and speakers from inside and
outside of Qatar, including the Arab League, Johns Hopkins
University (The Protection Project),UNICEF, UNODC,
Alexandria University, University of Tunisia, Al-Jazeera
Satellite Network, Qatari Police Training Institute, UAE
Societal Police Department, Qatari Attorney General's Office,
Human Rights Department of the Qatari MOI, Qatar University
Law Faculty, and the Qatar National TIP Office.


7. (U) During the conference, speakers recognized and spoke
openly that people subjected to human trafficking are clearly
victims and that they are recruited using coercion,
deception, fraud, and sometimes abuse of power. Many of the
speakers called for enactment of an anti-TIP law in Qatar
that conforms to international criteria, protects victims
against punishment, allows victims to stay in the country,
and concentrate, most importantly, on means of prevention.
Mohammed Mattar from Johns Hopkins University noted that he
had reviewed the draft TIP law for Qatar and had found it to
in accordance with international standards.


8. (U) One of the panels included the influential
Egyptian-born Islamic cleric Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi who
talked strongly against TIP, in all its forms, as an affront
to Islam. He included examples of forced labor, sexual
exploitation, and domestic worker abuse in his discussion.
Al-Qaradawi clearly stated that the current sponsorship
system in Qatar must be reviewed because as is it constitutes
mondern-day slavery in its present form.


9. (U) The conference committee issued the following
recommendations at the close of the conference:

- TIP is recognized as an ethical, social, security and
health problem with multiple dimensions and effects.

- The necessity to study and analyze the reasons and
fundamental causes that lead people to fall victim to TIP.

- Each (GCC) country should establish an integrated
information and database system for tracking TIP actions.
Such systems should include legislation combating TIP,
information of interest to criminal justice authorities, and
types of assistance provided by the government to TIP
victims. The resulting information should be accessible to
researchers and decision makers.

- Establish integrated criteria for observing all forms of
TIP that can be used for the preparation of TIP reports.

- Establish an Arab and regional network, under the
supervision of the Arab League, for the exchange of
information and experiences related to combating all forms of
TIP.

- Increase societal awareness for combating TIP through
educational establishments, mass media, civil society
organizations, and religious organizations.

- Integrate TIP into the general and university education
curricula.

DOHA 00000244 003 OF 003



- Encourage research and specialized studies in the field of
combating TIP.

- Establish government-sponsored shelters for the
rehabilitation and care of TIP victims.

- Adopt training programs focused on upgrading the
capabilities of law-enforcement personnel, civil society
organizations, anti-TIP establishments, and the mass media.
Make use of the UN Training and Documentation facilities in
the field of human rights for the Southeast Asia and Arab
region.

- Review and reform national legislation and definitions of
TIP behaviors to conform to international criteria and
conventions.

- Call upon the Arab League to expedite the issuance of a
pilot integrated and comprehensive Arab convention for
combating all forms of TIP and the reinforcement of Arab
cooperation in the field of combating TIP.

- Call upon the GCC Secretary-General to take the lead in
coordination and cooperation for the promotion of TIP combat
procedures between states in the region.

- Call on each Arab country to issue an annual TIP report.

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Call for Judicial Assistance
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10. (SBU) During a meeting at the Ministry of Justice with
representatives from the American Bar Association (ABA) March
25, the Undersecretary of Justice, Sultan Al-Suwaidi, asked
for assistance in investigating and prosecuting what he
called "white-collar" crimes, including TIP. He noted that
Qatar has laws on the books to combat such crimes, but that
the legal system does not know how to use the laws. The ABA
agreed to develop a proposal for the ministry.

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Comments
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11. (SBU) While much of this new information, received long
after we submitted reftels A and B, continues to be more
rhetorical than concrete, there have been appreciable
advances. Never before has there been such public
acknowledgement of TIP crimes in Qatar, especially among the
large unskilled and low-skilled labor population. Over the
last three years, emphasis has moved rightly so from children
(camel jockeys),to female domestic workers, to laborers.
Post recommends evaluation of this material for inclusion in
the 2008 report and possible effect on Tier ranking.
RATNEY