DUBAI // The United Nations has helped nine victims of human trafficking in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, seven of whom are female, to find homes in countries such as Sweden, Australia and Canada.
The victims – four of whom were minors – were lured to the UAE with promises of dream jobs and money or sold by parents or relatives and faced the danger of being resold if they returned home.
Of the nine victims from Asia and the Arab region, five were resettled this year in Canada, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. All victims are studying in schools or university in their new home country.
Their cases were disclosed at a regional training workshop organised by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC) which was attended by 40 prosecutors, enforcement officials and judges from the Middle East and Africa.
“Four were minors and if returned to their parents, they would have sold them again,” said May Kadkoy, senior protection officer of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Abu Dhabi.
The first four were resettled in 2010 by the UNHCR in Sweden and Australia.
There are two additional victims, a sister and brother, aged 15 and 11, whose cases are pending.
Trafficking victims have to satisfy specific criteria to be considered for resettlement by the UN.
“We have to find out if their lives are really in danger in their home country,” Ms Kadkoy said.
“All the victims are received in a rehabilitation centre in their new country, then they go through their studies. The centre finds families to take care of them or they start their own lives.”
It can take from one week to four months or more for countries to process UNHCR requests.
The organisation will soon sign an agreement with the DFWAC and Ewa’a in Abu Dhabi to formalise the resettlement process for other victims.
Most victims want to go back home, said Maitha Ghanim Al Mazrouei, corporate communication manager of Ewa’a shelters for victims of human trafficking.
“We voluntarily repatriate them home because they want to see their family and children,” she said. “In some cases, they cannot go back because of natural disaster, war or because of shame because they are not married but are pregnant or have had a baby. If they go back, they may be killed.”
The women and boys are scarred by the traumatising experience of being brought to the UAE under false pretexts, and often being beaten, locked up and forced into prostitution.
“Our social workers and psychologists tell them they are worth something other than their body. We concentrate on this. We tell them, ‘you have a big future to come and life is still open, there are still people you can trust’,” said Ms Al Mazrouei.
Three of the five victims resettled this year were referred by Ewa’a, and the girls call the shelter to stay in touch.
“They are really happy,” she said. “They have a brighter look for the future and are optimistic.
“Some have changed their names and tell us about their school, college and accommodation.”
There are 11 human-trafficking victims in three Ewa’a shelters in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Since the shelter group opened in 2008, they have cared for 215 victims. The DFWAC has handled 207 victims since 2007 of which 37 were children. From last year to the end of June, they have sheltered 18 human-trafficking victims.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
