Bahrain - UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons to Visit Bahrain

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UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS TO VISIT BAHRAIN

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?article=158044&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=2920
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      UN Investigates Trafficking Trail
      By REBECCA TORR

      8th October 2006

      A United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur will be visiting Bahrain next
month to investigate human trafficking.

      Bangladesh human rights lawyer Sigma Huda will meet government
officials, non-government organisations, shelter home representatives and
survivors, to assess the prevalence of trafficking in Bahrain and see what
legal and social assistance is available.

      Ms Huda will investigate various forms of trafficking including
prostitution, forced labour, sexual slavery and bonded labour.

      "I'm very pleased the government of Bahrain extended this invitation
to me to see if trafficking is going on among migrant workers," Ms Huda told
the GDN by telephone from the UK yesterday.

      "The main objective is that a lot of migrant workers go to Gulf states
and the government is very keen to see people coming into the country don't
get exploited.

      "Bahrain is a small island and secluded, there is just a causeway into
Saudi Arabia, so we would like to see if Bahrain is a stepping stone for
trafficking because there is a trafficking problem in the Gulf region.

      "They may not be coming into the country illegally straightaway. They
may have come for work and then end up being exploited through prostitution
or forced labour.

      "There are many chances for exploitation and we would like to assist
the government and see what measures they are taking."

      The women's rights activist said she wanted to ensure that workers
could move from one country to another without being exploited.

      She said migrant workers were vulnerable to exploitation and a common
scenario was being employed for a decent sounding job, only to find on
arrival that they have actually been hired as a slave or a prostitute.

      "People come out for different purposes and find themselves in
difficult positions," said Ms Huda, who has been working in human rights for
the past 30 years and combating human trafficking for more than 20.

      "In many Gulf states, as soon as they go into the country their
passport stays with the employer, so if they get in a bad situation and try
to leave it will be illegal."

      Ms Huda will be in Bahrain for three or four days at the beginning of
next month and will later visit Oman and Qatar.

      The lawyer was appointed by the UN Commission on Human Rights to focus
on human rights aspects of victims of trafficking, especially women and
children.

      She has fought against sexual exploitation and trafficking,
particularly of women and girls, from Bangladesh to India. In recognition of
her work, she was appointed to the National Council for Women in
Development, the highest national body for women's development in
Bangladesh.

      Ms Huda is a board member of the Coalition Against Trafficking in
Women, Asia-Pacific, Bangladesh Women Lawyer's Association founder and
president, and Institute for Law and Development founder secretary.

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Received on Mon Oct 9 09:32:19 2006