A national centre to tackle human trafficking and provide temporary shelter for victims could be open in Bahrain by the end of this year.

The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) is spearheading the initiative in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Officer on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

LMRA chief executive Ausamah Al Absi revealed details of the plan as he chaired a meeting of Bahrain's National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking.

“The national centre to counter human trafficking will be set up with trained staff,” he said.

“In addition, it will be point of contact between security authorities and civil society organisations.”

During discussions with international organisations it was also agreed to hold two anti-trafficking workshops in Bahrain with the help of international experts, said Al Absi.

“The first workshop will involve training emergency doctors to identify and treat victims of human trafficking,” he said.

“The second workshop will target non-governmental organisations to work in educating recruitment agencies abroad to inform workers of their rights and responsibilities

“The LMRA will be the main body in co-ordinating efforts with security authorities to provide protection to distressed workers.

“A hotline will also soon be set up to receive complaints in different languages from workers that will function during the day.”

The dedicated anti-human trafficking centre is expected to deal with labour issues and further provide victims of trafficking or sexual abuse with a safe, temporary shelter as well as the necessary medical, psychological and social assistance.

Al Absi, during his meeting with UNODC regional GCC chief Dr Hatem Fuad Ali in May, said that they wanted to set up the centre to protect migrant workers and open a communication centre to handle complaints.

Grievances

The GDN reported in May on the LMRA's plans to launch a National Referral System in Bahrain this year, which will serve as the main contact point for workers to register their grievances related to non-payment of wages, withholding passports and other complaints.

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan said yesterday that a nationwide plan is set to be launched to deal with the problem of illegal workers in the country.

“We are not in the best position when it comes to illegal workers and plans are being drawn up to deal with the problem and fix the administrative and legal gaps,” he said in a statement. - TradeArabia News Service