UAE steps up fight on human trafficking

Security personnel from the UAE will be sent to a special training centre in Belarus to help tackle the criminal gangs engaged in human trafficking.

The move was announced by the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT) after a memorandum of understanding was signed with Belarus and Armenia.

NCCHT announced it will also launch a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the crime of human trafficking and to encourage the public to join the effort to stop it.

And a special website could also be launched to serve as an effective communications channel and official information source.

Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chair of the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, said: "The UAE has succeeded in drawing support for its battle to combat human trafficking domestically and globally, through important initiatives that we launched against this criminal activity."

He added: "Human trafficking poses a direct threat to social and moral values of UAE society. It is imperative that international players unite against this crime.”

A report by the US State Department published in June said the UAE had made “impressive efforts” in combating human trafficking, but that much work remained to be done.

It recommended the country “continue to increase law enforcement efforts to identify, prosecute and punish acts of sex trafficking [and] significantly increase law enforcement efforts against labour trafficking, including prosecuting and punishing employers and recruiters who defraud or abuse workers.”