He was responding to the comments of Marietta Dias, head of Action Committee, Migrant Workers Protection Society, who had said that the migrant workers woes and voices generally vapourised and often they dropped the cases because they could not continue to stay in the country.
Addressing the symposium on ‘Trafficking in Persons: A Global and Local Perspective’, she said the prevailing labour laws did not permit the worker to take up employment elsewhere. The Ministry of Labour spokesperson at the symposium said earlier there was a such a practice but stopped following allegations of misdoings.
The symposium also heard that the government was considering raising the age of youngsters who could be called juveniles from 15 to 18 years. It was argued that even at 18, children are not mature enough.
Badriya Yousif Al Jeeb told the participants that centres were being set up to ensure that the abused children and women were cared for.
The issue of trafficking in women with the motive of bringing them into vice and the exploitation of men from the lowest strata of society from most South Asian and African countries were also discussed.
The participants would be bringing together suggestions to prevent human-trafficking.
Dr Yousif Abdulkarim, Ricardo Cordero, Hala Mohammed Salman, Nawar Al Mutawa, Osama Ali Al Ofi, Shaikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Ebrahim Hamad Abdulla, Al Sayed Yousuf Al Hashimi also addressed the event.
