Report any human trafficking incident to the NCCHT

The National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCHT) encourages people to report any case of human trafficking to the nearest law enforcement authority or the NCCHT for immediate action.

“Human trafficking is a crime. It is one of the issues that requires societal solidarity to support official efforts in addressing it. Therefore we must encourage victims to report to extend them immediate help,” an NCCHT spokesperson said.

Human trafficking incidents can be reported physically or through the toll-free number 80077444. This will help the authorities nab the culprits as early as possible, he said.

The Sultanate of Oman has always been upholding the rights of citizens and residents. It has taken concrete steps to reinforce human rights as His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik issued several Royal Decrees in the recent past. The most notable among them was Royal Decree No 6/2021 on the promulgation of the Basic Law of the State with its new amendments, which guaranteed freedoms, human dignity, and equality in rights and responsibilities.

The Oman Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is also vigilant to ensure and protect individual rights. It follows domestic as well as international conventions and treaties to ensure individual rights. This is in line with Oman Vision 2040, which works on fulfilling citizens' aspirations.

Oman joined three international conventions related to human rights in 2020.

Royal Decree No 44/2020 ratified the Sultanate of Oman's joining the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) scripted in New York on December 20th, 2006. This convention aims to prevent enforced disappearance as well as crimes against humanity.

Besides, Royal Decree No 45/2020 ratified the Sultanate of Oman joining the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment aims to prevent torture all over the world and obliges member states to take effective measures to prevent torture within their boundaries.

With regard to the foreign female domestic workers who were stranded for want of pay, the Commission has called up the sponsors of many of the stranded domestic workers and many of them were sent to their native places, according to the OHRC.

Additionally, it follows the procedures taken by the authorities concerned with the protection of human rights, such as ROP, NCCHT and other relevant authorities, by allocating direct contact lines. OHRC affirmed that it provides shelter for domestic workers until legal action is taken to ensure their rights in accordance with the law.

Captain Khalid revealed that in 2022, seven cases of this kind were registered with the Royal Oman Police, and the number of complaints received by the department on suspicions of human trafficking from different governorates is more than 266. Out of them seven crimes were proven in 2022.

Captain Khalid bin Ali Tabuk, Head of the Human Trafficking Department at the Directorate General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations of the Royal Oman Police (ROP), said that the Sultanate of Oman's criminal level in human trafficking is very low, according to statistics prepared by the DG of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations.

The world over, human trafficking is the third biggest crime. Most of them were carried out for financial return, following the arms trade and drug trade. It is one of the hidden organised crimes that are managed by a criminal organisation on a global level, and follow-up and work to combat it takes a long time.

“Oman is committed to combating the phenomenon of human trafficking and all practices associated with it, which are not compatible with lofty human principles and values, as they constitute an insult to legitimate human rights and dignity,” said Captain Khalid.

However, there was a hike in the number of human trafficking during the Covid 19, but it has reduced after the pandemic got over.

“The Covid-19 pandemic caused an increase in the number of victims of human trafficking through the exploitation of social networks and the deteriorating economic conditions,” he added.