SENIOR OMANIS CONFIRM CARECENTERS FOR TIP VICTIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000403 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/05/06 TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIP MU SUBJECT: SENIOR OMANIS CONFIRM CARECENTERS FOR TIP VICTIMS REF: A. MUSCAT 287; B. MUSCAT 201; C. IIR 6 874 0128 09 CLASSIFIED BY: Gary A. Grappo, Ambassador, Department of State, Embassy Muscat; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador addressed the issue of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) during his farewell calls with Royal Oman Police (ROP) Inspector General (IG) Lieutenant General Malik bin Suleiman al-Ma'amari on May 4 and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Secretary General Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi on May 6. Al-Ma'amari is the ministerial head of the Omani Committee to Combat TIP (ref A). His deputy, Dr. Abdullah Ali al-Harthy, also an ROP officer, will run this portfolio on a day-to-day basis. ¶2. (C) Al-Ma'amari welcomed the Ambassador's offer of TIP related programs that would be available to prosecutors and judges. Al-Ma'amari noted that he would use his oversight of the Public Prosecution to recommend taking advantage of these courses. He acknowledged there is much to learn and discern about TIP and other crimes such as human smuggling, aspects of prostitution, etc. ¶3. (C) Al-Ma'amari reported that the Omani government's permanent "Carecenter," or shelter, for TIP victims would be completed over the course of the summer. The shelter will include separate space for families. (NOTE: Several labor-supplying embassies in Muscat also run shelters for their nationals. END NOTE.) The Ambassador asked if embassy officials could tour the facility, and al-Ma'amari indicated this would be possible once the center is completed. The Omani government is currently using a temporary shelter to house the 11 women who are the alleged victims from the first case being prosecuted under the new anti-TIP law (ref B). ¶4. (C) Separately, Badr confirmed that the Carecenter would open over the summer and that he will inspect it personally. He said that Oman would also be establishing a "screening program" in the northern port of Sohar for illegal immigrants coming across the Gulf of Oman from Pakistan and Iran (ref C) in order to separate trafficking victims from those being smuggled. ¶5. (C) Sayyid Badr said the government would eventually build a Carecenter in the southern port of Salalah as well. (Note: This shelter will likely incorporate a screening facility also, given the numbers of illegal immigrants picked up in the southern part of Oman (ref C). End Note.) The Secretary General stated Oman was determined to implement an effective and comprehensive anti-TIP program. He noted the country's most significant constraint was lack of law enforcement expertise, but added the government would work to address that problem as well. ¶6. (C) Comment: The Omanis are very serious about apprehending illegal immigrants entering Oman by sea; this is the first time, however, that they have committed to setting up a process to screen these immigrants specifically for potential trafficking victims. GRAPPO