MANAMA – Bahrain has become the first Arab country to reach Tier 1 in the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TiP) report, earning this prestigious award in the 2018 edition. The TiP report ranks governments based on their efforts to recognize and combat human trafficking, and the Tier 1 designation refers to countries that comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. Bahrain was promoted to Tier 2 from the Tier 2 watch list in 2015 and has remained stable in Tier 2 for three consecutive years.
The UN migration agency IOM congratulates the Government of Bahrain on this incredible achievement.
“Being promoted to Tier 1 in the US State Department’s TiP report is a recognition of the progress the Kingdom of Bahrain has made in this area,” said Mohamed El Zarkani, IOM’s Bahrain representative, explaining that the Kingdom’s efforts to counter TiP are a perfect example of the positive, progressive attitude the government is adopting.
El Zarkani added: “For IOM, it was always clear that it was only a matter of time before Bahrain would reach this level. IOM is confident that this new challenge will further motivate the Government of Bahrain to not only reach the top, but also maintain its position. IOM will remain a committed partner to the Kingdom of Bahrain on this exciting new journey.”
Ausama Al Absi, CEO of Bahrain’s Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and chairperson of the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons, highlighted the challenges of leading Bahrain’s fight against trafficking in persons.
“When I assumed the position of Chair of the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons in 2015, I set two goals: to adopt best practices in migrant worker protection and to build a solid knowledge base on combating trafficking at the national level,” he said. “I sought the assistance of an international body of experts for both, and IOM was my first choice. Together, we transferred knowledge, spread awareness, and institutionalized processes to transform Bahrain’s anti-trafficking efforts. Our numerous joint capacity-building programs have made hundreds of people competent first responders, and our joint collaboration has led to the launch of the first National Referral Mechanism in the region. This achievement is as much ours as it is our partners’ achievement, and IOM is certainly a key partner in that.”
IOM and the Government of Bahrain have been working closely together over the past three years in the area of protecting victims of trafficking, including developing standard operating procedures for foreigner protection shelters, developing a national referral mechanism for vulnerable migrants, establishing a Trafficking Victims Assistance Fund, and providing overall capacity building for government officials.
For more information, please contact Mohamed El Zarkani at IOM Bahrain: Tel: +973 351 66 215, Email: melzarkani@iom.int
