Thursday, May 16, 2013
Dubai: Authorities logged 37 human trafficking cases in Dubai in 2012, the same figure recorded the previous year.
Police said on Thursday they had registered nine trafficking cases in Dubai in the first quarter.
Lieutenant-General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, said that victims of organised crime and all other crimes always need community support, especially human trafficking victims.
He added that Dubai Police is working to support victims of human trafficking.
Dubai Police and the Al Maktoum Charity Foundation on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which the charity will participate financially in supporting the police in their programme to support human trafficking victims. The event took place at a press conference held at the Dubai Police headquarters.
Lt-General Dahi said that the charity will this year give Dh150,000 as financial support to these victims. He added the victims sometimes needed legal consultants or lawyers to help with their cases.
He said that civilised societies are those whose government departments and private sectors work hand in hand to support the community.
He recalled an incident when police supported a woman financially. He said this Emirati woman had been abandoned by her expatriate husband.
“The man left his wife and children and fled the country. The woman ended up on the street and was found by police who helped her and her children by finding a place for them to live.
“This women was an Emirati and the police were able to find a place for her to live through some other governmental department, so what about an expatriate woman who also could be in the same situation and need financial support?” he asked.
Mirza Al Sayegh, a member of the Board of Trustees at the Al Maktoum Foundation, who signed the MoU with Dubai Police, said that the organisation will give financial aid to the victims of human trafficking and will work together with Dubai Police in supporting those victims.
“We are adopting the human trafficking victims’ support programmes and we will be pleased to be part of it,” Al Sayegh said.
“In addition to financial support, the Al Maktoum Charity organisation will participate in all human trafficking victims’ support activities which will be organised by Dubai Police,” he added.
By Bassma Al Jandaly Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
