Qatar Steps Up National Fight Against Human Trafficking

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Taibat Olaniyan | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: Qatar is stepping up its efforts to detect, investigate, prevent and combat human trafficking through a coordinated national framework focused on prevention, victim protection, prosecution and stronger cooperation between government institutions and international partners.

An official at the Criminal Investigation Department, Captain Abdullah Khalifa al Mahmoud stated this during a webinar titled "Services of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking and the Anti-Human Trafficking Section at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Public" organized by the Ministry of Interior.

Captain Al Mahmoud said human trafficking continues to pose a serious threat to vulnerable individuals and communities, prompting authorities to strengthen investigations, victim protection, inter-agency coordination, and public awareness efforts aimed at preventing exploitation and bringing offenders to justice.

Speaking at the webinar, an official of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCHT), Nada Fowzy Muhammed Salim stated that since its establishment in 2017 under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, the committee coordinates national policies and initiatives, supports awareness and education programmes, works to protect and rehabilitate victims, and strengthens cooperation with regional and international organisations.

She explained that Qatar's second National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking (2024–2026) provides a unified framework built around five strategic pillars: prevention, protection, prosecution, capacity building, and cooperation and partnerships.

Alongside this framework, specialised units within the Ministry of Interior investigate suspected trafficking cases, while victims can be referred to dedicated care facilities when required.

She noted that the judiciary has also established specialised chambers within the Criminal Court and Court of Appeal to handle trafficking cases, supported by judges with specialised training.

The NCCHT provides a multilingual 24-hour hotline with Qatar expanding the use of technology, training and international partnerships to strengthen the NCCHT's response.

Highlighting the role of the public prosecution in combating human trafficking, Assistant Head of the Residence Affairs and Human Trafficking Prosecution Majed Khamis Al Khelaifi outlined the procedures followed in handling residence and human trafficking cases and the prosecution's nationwide jurisdiction.

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Al Khelaifi explained that the specialised prosecution's role extends beyond investigating complaints. It includes assessing and disposing of cases, bringing charges and referring accused persons to court, handling appeals and representing the prosecution before the judiciary.

The prosecution also contributes to prevention through awareness and education programmes. The specialised approach has been strengthened through the assignment of jurisdiction in 2019, specialised training for prosecutors and the deployment of trained teams to prosecution offices dealing with cases showing potential trafficking indicators.

The objective is to ensure that crimes concealed behind apparently ordinary labour, financial or other disputes are identified at an early stage.

The prosecution also places importance on following financial trails and identifying the beneficiaries of criminal proceeds.

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