US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1113

UNCLAS MANAMA 001113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, INL/G/TIP: FASEFFA, AND DRL/IL 
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, BA 
SUBJECT: MFA BRIEFS ON 2003 TIP ACTION PLAN STATUS 
 
REF: 03 MANAMA 2699 
 
1.  On July 10, Chairman of the Interministerial Committee on 
Anti-TIP activities, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Assistant 
Undersecretary Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa 
briefed P/E Chief and PolOff on the status of the remaining 
items from the GOB 2003 Action Plan. 
 
 - VICTIM ABUSE SHELTER - Shaikh Abdul Aziz was pleased to 
report that the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of 
Labor and Social Affairs have established a victim assistance 
shelter in Hidd on the eastern coast of Bahrain.  Shaikh 
Abdul Aziz invited PolOff to accompany him on a site visit. 
 
 - OPERATIONAL HOTLINE - PolOff informed Shaikh Abdul Aziz 
that MEPI approved a small grant to train both the MOLSA 
hotline telephone operators and the Bahrain Centre for Human 
Rights Migrant Workers Group volunteers.  "Now that we have 
the money and a contractor, we need to set dates," she said. 
Shaikh Abdul Aziz said he would discuss Fall scheduling for 
the training seminar with MOLSA Director of Labor Relations 
Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa. 
 
 - PUBLIC AWARENESS PLAN BY THE MUNICIPALITIES - Shaikh Abdul 
Aziz reported that only the Manama Central Governate 
announced plans to launch a anti-TIP public awareness 
campaign.  Shaikh Abdul Aziz indicated that he would look at 
renewing public awareness activities. 
 
 - INVESTIGATION, PREVENTION AND PROSECUTION - Shaikh Abdul 
Aziz was pleased to report that the MOLSA Director of Labor 
Relations Shaikh Ali has stepped up labor inspections to 
crack down on manpower agencies involved in human 
trafficking.  In a July 7 Gulf Daily News article, MOLSA 
cited that three inspectors have been designated to look into 
complaints about malpracticing manpower agencies.  There are 
currently 82 licensed manpower agencies and that in the past 
two years 63 agencies have been shut down. Shaikh Ali 
reported to PolOff on June 14 that he is working directly 
with the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Migrant Workers 
Group on investigating housemaid abuse cases. He also said 
that MOLSA plans to hire more labor, safety and tourism 
inspectors and increase spot inspections.  Shaikh Ali has 
issued a press release on MOLSA's campaign to crack down on 
"free visa" violators. 
 
 - CRIMINALIZE TRAFFICKING - P/E Chief inquired whether 
Shaikh Abdul Aziz had succeeded in inserting a provision to 
criminalize trafficking into the draft labor law.   P/E Chief 
also asked if the GOB labor law negotiators are looking at 
insuring that the labor law protects household workers. 
Shaikh Abdul Aziz admitted that the labor law is in its 
infancy and would ask the MFA's Director of Legal Affairs to 
check the draft to see if it included provisions like these. 
 
----------------------------------- 
POSSIBLE ITEMS FOR 2004 ACTION PLAN 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. Shaikh Abdul Aziz told Emboffs that he plans to convene 
the inter-ministerial task force this month to discuss 
anti-TIP activities planned for the upcoming year.  EmbOFFs 
presented  possible items to be included in a GOB 2004 action 
plan.  Shaikh Abdul Aziz thanked EmbOFFs for their 
suggestions and promised to put them before the task force. 
 
3.   PolOFF forwarded this list to Shaikh Abdul Aziz. 
 
 - Develop a comprehensive anti-trafficking law 
 - Bring domestic workers under the protection of its labor 
laws 
 - Encourage and foster participation of NGOs to fight 
trafficking 
 - Expedite labor dispute hearings 
 - Make mediation services widely available to victims 
 - Provide timely statistics on labor court decisions, 
prosecutions and complaints 
 - Prosecute employers that abuse or traffic victims and 
prevent them from securing additional work permits for 
foreign workers 
 - Participate in the approved IOM TIP project 
 - Schedule hotline operator training 
WILLIAMSON