MPs support strict penalties for human traficking

Members of Parliament have spoken in support of the bill against human trafficking, which proposes a ten to fifteen year jail term for human trafficking.

There is presently no law in the Maldives that prohibits human trafficking. The new bill on preventing human trafficking was proposed by the State and submitted to the parliament by PPM member, Hanimaadhoo MP Mohamed Mujthaz.

All MPs who participated in the debate supported the bill. They said that a large number of foreign nationals currently residing in the Maldives arrived here as a result of human trafficking, and that the Maldivian society is being adversely affected by this situation.

Hulhu-Henveyru MP Reeko Moosa Manik said that people who arrive in Maldives as a result of human trafficking build their own houses in the forests in bigger islands, and that Maldives could become a ‘nest’ of human trafficking.

Maavadhoo MP said that while the purpose of the bill on preventing human trafficking is good, problems may arise due to the fact that too many English terms are used in the bill. He suggested translating those terms to Dhivehi.

The bill states that it is a crime to transfer people from one country to another through the use of force by planning or deception; and that the transfer of people from one region to another in the Maldives would also be categorised as acts of human trafficking.

Human trafficking of a child is defined as the act of forcing a child to provide a service or work in a manner that could put the child’s health or safety at risk.

The penalty for human trafficking is ten years in prison. The penalty for child trafficking is 15 years in prison, and the penalty for involvement in organising human trafficking is seven years in prison.

If a member of a law enforcement institution is convicted of human trafficking, he would be given fifteen years in prison.

The bill also describes the procedures for repatriating the victims of human trafficking.

It also states that a fourteen-member committee must be created to mediate prevention of human trafficking. The committee should be made up of a member of parliament, a judge of supreme court, a member of HRCM, an employee of home affairs ministry, a lawyer from the attorney general’s office, a lawyer from the prosecutor general’s office, an employee of immigration department, an employee of foreign ministry, a police officer, a customs officer, an employee appointed by labour relation, an employee of Islamic affairs ministry and a member of an NGO.

According to the bill, the committee will be required to draw up a yearly national action plan on preventing human trafficking, and also submit a yearly report on human trafficking to the president and the parliament.