Exploitation of loopholes in domestic worker hiring in Kuwait

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KUWAIT CITY, Aug 1: Kuwait is exerting great and remarkable efforts to combat human trafficking in all its forms, and punish those who practice it with severe penalties of up to life imprisonment or imprisonment for up to 15 years, reports Al-Qabas daily. On the occasion of the International Day to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which falls on July 30 each year, a group of government agencies and international organizations launched introductory activities on the efforts exerted by Kuwait to preserve human rights and combat trafficking in persons, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, and the Public Authority for Manpower, in addition to the International Organization for Migration and the National Office for Human Rights.

On this occasion, the Director of the General Department of Criminal Investigation Brigadier General Yousef Al-Seneen explained that the department was able to seize several cases in this regard, which ended with sentencing one of the accused to 15 years in prison while another received life sentence. The department, from the time it started its monitoring of human trafficking cases, immediately rushed to apprehend a number of defendants who took it upon themselves to exploit the state of weakness and the need for some domestic workers. They were referred to the concerned authorities. Many such cases are still pending with the Public Prosecution and the judiciary.

Concerned
The concerned department receives complaints and inquiries related to incidents of trafficking in persons, through the hotline No. 25589696 round the clock. Dealing with these cases is strictly confidential. All reports are examined and verified as soon as they are received. Information and inferences are collected about the perpetrators and referred to the concerned authorities.

Brigadier General Al-Seneen stated that the Ministry of Interior, on July 30 and 31, will participate in the campaign launched by the International Organization for Migration in partnership with the Permanent National Committee concerned with implementing the national strategy to prevent trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in the Capital Complex and the Ministries Complex, respectively. Laws and decisions –
■ 2013: Legislative authorities issued a law for combating trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.
■ 2014: Issuance of the organizational structure of the Ministry of Interior, which included the establishment of a special department for trafficking in persons. Features of Kuwait’s efforts in this regard –
■ Establishing various departments and divisions to shoulder the burden of combating human trafficking crimes
■ Issuing a legislative law to combat trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants
■ Establishing a department for human trafficking and integrating it into the activities of the Department for the Protection of Public Morals
■ Cooperation between the Government of Kuwait and the International Organization for Migration in the field of combating trafficking in persons
■ Training specialists on investigation methods, collecting evidence and identifying victims

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