'UAE takes first place in global fight against organised crime for second year'

Human trafficking crimes in Dubai dropped 47 per cent in 2013 to 11 cases compared to 21 cases in 2012 while strikes by workers fell 24 per cent from 45 to 34 during the same period.

Employees struck work for various reasons including demand for salary hike, demand to return home, non-payment of overtime wages, poor food and medical services and non-renewal of work visa.

This came in a press conference chaired by Major General Abdul Quddus Al Obaidly Director of Total Quality Management at Dubai Police, and Colonel Dr. Mohammed Al Murr, Director of the Human Rights Department at Dubai Police.
Major Al Obaidly said the UAE ranked first in the world for the second year in a row in the fight against organised crime which includes human trafficking.

Colonel Mohammad Al Murr said the Human Rights Department succeeded in recovering Dh29 million of workers’ wages not paid by their employers during 2013.

He also said the department gave Dh10,335 as monetary help last year and signed an agreement with Al Maktoum Charity to provide Dh150,000 for buying air tickets for victims of human rights violations to go home.

An electronic system to monitor the condition of temporary workers and follow up their problems was launched last year, he added.

Twenty-eight people were accused of human tracking last year compared to 62 in 2012. In two cases, both the accused and the victim of human tracking belonged to the same country whereas in nine cases, they hailed from different countries, he said.

Of the 13 victims of human trafficking in 2013, seven were over 26 years old, three between 18 and 26 years and three under 18.

The violations of human rights included sexual exploitation, sale of children and forced labour.

Five of the victims of human trafficking entered the UAE on tourist visas and six had residence permits while two were illegitimate children. Six of them came to UAE through Dubai Airport, three via Sharjah Airport, two through Abu Dhabi Airport and two through unknown ports.

Labour complaints increased 25 per cent from 748 in 2012 to 1,005 in the following year.

Colonel Mohammad Al Murr said DubaiPolice has opened many outlets to receive workers’ complaints, including e-mail.

He said 832 complaints were received from Asian workers, 106 from Arabs, 59 from Africans and eight from Europeans.

The director of human rights said 1,698 workers’ accommodations were inspected during 2013. Ninety-nine per cent of the companies operating in Dubai were committed to the municipality’s standards of housing for workers, he added.


 

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