Kuwait vows to fight human trafficking

KUWAIT: Head of the IOM Kuwait office Eman Erekat (4th from left - front row) and Ambassador of Netherlands to Kuwait Frans Potuyt (6th from left - front row) take a group photo with security officials during a workshop at UN house in Mishref. — Photos by Yesser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Kuwait yesterday concluded a workshop to 'enhance the capacity of ports security officers towards the identification of victims of trafficking' at UN house in Mishref. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Kuwait's Ministry of Interior and experts from UAE Ministry of Interior. The five-day workshop started on March 25.

Head of the IOM Kuwait office Eman Erekat said that the aim of the workshop was to train the Commission's staff so that they can identify issues related to human trafficking and to refine their field capabilities - adding that the reality is that human trafficking is still one of the most lucrative businesses today. She thanked the Kuwait government for the partnership.

Meanwhile, Kuwait has vowed to fight human trafficking which it says is a form of contemporary slavery and a blatant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed by international laws.

"This demonstrates Kuwait's seriousness and contribution to providing its local cadres with international expertise on various important and sensitive issues such as human rights and trafficking," she said. Erekat added that the organization seeks to be a world leader in combating this crime. IOM collaborated with the Ministry of Interior on 31 projects and with Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 13 projects.

Ambassador of Netherlands to Kuwait Frans Potuyt said that Kuwait is making progress in fighting human trafficking. "Seeing the headquarters for UN in Kuwait is the best example of Kuwait's efforts as it continues to put extra measures in raising awareness. Most of the foreign workers in Kuwait came voluntarily, but some of them are victims of human trafficking. The Netherlands and Kuwait are keen on working together to provide good rules and regulations to fight human trafficking and to make the world a safer place," he added.

By Faten Omar