المملكة: Awareness and early reporting are the first line of defence

Specialists have confirmed that the crime of trafficking in persons is one of the most serious crimes that violate human dignity and basic rights, as it is based on exploiting humans through coercion, deception, threats, or exploiting the need to achieve illegal benefits.
They pointed out that raising the level of community awareness, enhancing the culture of reporting, and identifying indicators of exploitation represent the first pillars of preventing this crime and limiting its spread.

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

Speaking to Al-Youm on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Trafficking in Persons, they explained that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has paid great attention to this crime through an integrated legislative system based on prevention, protection of victims, and prosecution of perpetrators.

In addition to enhancing cooperation between government agencies, the private sector, educational and media institutions, and non-profit sector organizations, in a way that enhances human rights and establishes the rule of law.

Exploitation is the essence of the crime

Lawyer and legal advisor Suleiman Al-Jumai confirmed that trafficking in persons is an internationally prohibited crime that is based on human exploitation by illegal means, such as luring, deception, coercion, or exploitation of need, with the aim of achieving financial or other gains at the expense of human dignity and rights.
He explained that this crime has multiple forms, the most prominent of which are sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, forced labor, organized begging, withholding official documents, and restricting the worker’s freedom or preventing him from communicating.
He pointed out the importance of distinguishing between crimes of trafficking in persons and labor violations, stressing that the existence of a dispute between the worker and the employer does not necessarily mean the existence of a trafficking crime, but rather the crime is committed when exploitation is accompanied by coercion, restriction of freedom, or exploitation of the victim’s weakness.
He added that spreading a culture of rights and duties, raising awareness of indicators of exploitation, and quickly reporting any suspicion of withholding passports, preventing communication, or forcing people to work in inhumane conditions, represents the first line of defense to protect victims and enable the competent authorities to pursue perpetrators.

An integrated legal system

Legal Advisor Wijdan Abdulaziz confirmed that the crime of trafficking in persons is one of the most serious crimes that affect human dignity and basic rights.
She explained that the system for combating crimes of trafficking in persons defined it as using, transporting, harboring, or receiving a person by illegal means, such as coercion, threats, deception, or exploiting a state of weakness, with the intention of exploitation, the most prominent forms of which are forced labor or service, sexual exploitation, begging, slavery or practices similar to it, and the removal of human organs.
She added that community awareness represents an essential foundation for preventing this crime, as it contributes to identifying indicators of exploitation and reporting them through official channels, enabling the competent authorities to protect victims and take legal measures against the perpetrators.
She indicated that the Kingdom gave this crime special legislative attention through an integrated system based on prevention, prosecution, protection of victims, and strengthening cooperation between the competent authorities.
She stressed that educational institutions, the media, the private sector, and the non-profit sector play a pivotal role in establishing a culture of respect for human rights and enhancing community awareness.

Awareness creates protection

Civil law researcher Nawir Saad Al-Rashidi confirmed that trafficking in persons is based on exploiting people to achieve illegal benefits, and its forms include forced labor, sexual exploitation, organized begging, and the removal of organs by illegal means, based on exploiting the victim’s need or weakness to achieve illegal gains.
She explained that community awareness is one of the most important means of combating this crime, by identifying indicators of suspicion, such as restriction of freedom, coercion, threats, or any form of exploitation, and reporting them to the competent authorities, which contributes to protecting victims and holding perpetrators accountable.
She added that the Kingdom has strengthened its efforts to combat trafficking in persons by developing systems and enhancing cooperation between the competent authorities, while combating this crime requires the solidarity of all societal institutions, as educational institutions contribute to spreading awareness, and the media plays a role in education, while the private sector is committed to protecting workers, and non-profit sector institutions participate in implementing awareness programs and supporting victims.

deterrent penalties

Lawyer Wijdan Al-Zahrani confirmed that the Kingdom has established its leadership in combating crimes of trafficking in persons through an integrated regulatory system that is based on the principles of Islamic Sharia, which honored the human being and preserved his freedom and dignity, noting that the Saudi regime criminalizes all forms of exploitation, whether forced labor, sexual exploitation, begging, the removal of organs, and other practices that affect human rights.
She explained that the regime decided deterrent penalties of up to fifteen years in prison, or a fine not exceeding one million riyals, or both penalties together, with harsher penalties in cases stipulated by the regime.
She added that the Kingdom is adopting a national approach based on prevention, protecting victims, prosecuting perpetrators, and enhancing community awareness, in cooperation between government agencies, the private sector, educational and media institutions, and non-profit community organizations, in a way that strengthens the sovereignty of the regime and preserves human dignity.

Confrontation begins with awareness

The international consultant for sustainable development and human rights researcher, Dr. Matouk Al-Sharif, confirmed that the crime of trafficking in persons is linked to exploitation, coercion, threats and deception, where the stronger party exploits the need of the weaker party to achieve a material or non-material benefit.
He pointed out that this crime has witnessed a development in its methods, as it is no longer limited to traditional forms, but rather modern practices have emerged that target children, the needy, and people most vulnerable to exploitation, which requires the continuous development of systems and legislation to keep pace with these new methods.

He added that Islamic values ​​represent the first line of defense in confronting this crime, as they emphasize the preservation of human dignity and the prohibition of all forms of injustice, exploitation and coercion, stressing that the responsibility for prevention is not limited to the security and judicial authorities, but rather includes the family, school, university, media, places of worship, the private sector, and non-profit community organizations.
He called for not hesitating to report any case suspected of being exploited, noting that early reporting may save a victim, prevent the crime from occurring, and enhance the protection of society, stressing that human protection is a shared religious, national and moral responsibility.