More than one million people, the majority of them women and children, are smuggled across international borders to work in near slavery every year, the US state department says.

Its 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report lists more than 170 countries which it claims are not doing enough to tackle the problem.

Al Jazeera met “Svetlana”, a Ukrainian forced to work in the sex trade in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

She recounted how she was offered a job as a waitress, but the woman who had originally promised to help her in Tashkent took away her passport and threatened to harm her family if she did not co-operate.

After years of abuse, “Svetlana” has found refuge at the United Arab Emirates’ first shelter for the victims of human trafficking.

Staff at the Abu Dhabi Shelter for Women and Children say that although her story is common, there is too little awareness of the situation.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 11, 2008

Bahrain is a monarchy with a population of approximately 725,000, approximately 430,000 of whom are citizens, according to official figures. King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa is the head of state and all branches of government. The king appoints a cabinet of ministers, half of whom are members of the Al‑Khalifa royal family. The 2002 constitution reinstated a legislative body with one elected chamber, the Council of Deputies, and one appointed chamber, the Shura Council. All political societies participated in the November and December 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Trained local observers did not report significant problems during the elections, although there were allegations that the government manipulated general poll center vote counts in some cases and gerrymandered political districts. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.

Citizens did not have the right to change their government. The government restricted civil liberties, including freedoms of press, speech, assembly, association, and some religious practices. Although citizens were not able to form political parties, the law authorized registered political societies to run candidates and participate in other political activities. The judiciary lacked independence, and corruption was a problem. Domestic violence against women and children was common, as was discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, sect, and ethnicity. Trafficking in persons and restrictions on the rights of expatriate workers remained problems. The Shi’a majority population was routinely discriminated against.

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Cyber war on sex trafficking
By REBECCA TORR

A HUMAN rights society is stepping up its campaign to combat sex trafficking in Bahrain through the Internet.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights is already investigating the perpetrators behind websites that are offering sex to customers here and in other Gulf countries, and now with the same technology it hopes to help solve the problem.

It believes raising awareness about sex trafficking and offering victims a way out are the keys to making a difference.

The society plans to approach companies, bloggers, recruiters, organisations and others to post on their website a banner in various languages that will contain information about sex trafficking and useful contacts for victims.

Similar information will be sent through an e-mail campaign.

The society also hopes to produce a film exposing sex trafficking in Bahrain.

“I want this issue to be discussed in the community, on websites and in the media,” said BYSHR president Mohammed Al Maskati.

“We opened the file and will continue to work on this. We want to do something to help these women.”

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Youth society probes ‘erotic’ website visitors
By Our Staff Reporter

It is 14,739 now.They are prostitutes and clients registered on several websites for dating services in Bahrain.

After investigations, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights has found the details and launched a campaign for blocking the “malicious” sites.

“There are about 50 websites which carry women’s pictures and offer the services,” society president Mohammed Al Maskati told the Tribune.
“A regular visitor of one website told us about his experience and the discovery that the site is used as a platform for prostitution.

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Bahrain: More than 10000 subscribed to sexual networks
More than 50 websites affiliated to prostitution networks in Bahrain

The second report on Human Trafficking case
By: Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights

August 15th, 2007

Introduction:

Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) has recently published its first report on “Human Trafficking in Bahrain” (1). The report referred to Human Trafficking gangsters interested in misusing women all over Bahrain. One of the regular visitors of chatting websites told BYSHR about his own experience and how he discovered that they are prostitution websites. The moderators of these websites offered him girls for sex from Bahrain and from all over the world.

BYSHR believes that the prostitution business is organized by local networks in Bahrain that have strong ties with international networks. They provide prostitution service via the Internet. Therefore, BYSHR will continue its struggle to eliminate such networks by unveiling the files of “Human Trafficking – Sexual Misuse of Women” in Bahrain. The association shall reveal all the information it holds about sexual misuse of women on the World Wide Web.

How do women are misused for trafficking:

The victims coming from foreign countries are seduced with tricky plans. Usually, they arrive to Bahrain with gratefulness to those who brought them here. They can hardly identify where they exist because of their incapacity to use the local language. They do not have any one to resort to when the “Human Trafficking” hide their passports and identity documents. Then, they are seduced by offering to upgrade their living standard, provide appropriate job vacancy, and ensure a better future to their families in their origin countries.

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Cyber sex sites spur vice probe
By REBECCA TORR

A BAHRAIN human rights group has launched an investigation to unmask the perpetrators behind more than 35 websites offering sex to customers here and in other Gulf countries.

Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) president Mohammed Al Maskati said they were concerned about women who were being brought here on promises of lawful employment only to find themselves victims of sexual exploitation.

He said women from Europe, Middle East and Asia were being advertised for sex through more than 35 Arabic and English websites.

One of the main websites, he said, was based in the US, but the GCC co-ordinator was thought to be operating from Bahrain.

“We found that it is more difficult to access these sites in countries such as the UAE and Kuwait, but they are easily accessible from Bahrain,” he told the GDN. “We think the co-ordinator is from Bahrain, but we don’t yet know who it is.

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BAHRAIN : US Trafficking in Persons Report 2007
Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report 2007
U.S. Department of State

BAHRAIN (Tier 3)

Bahrain is a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation. Men and women from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Eritrea migrate voluntarily to Bahrain to work as laborers or domestic servants, but some are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude when forced to pay off large recruitment and transportation fees, and faced with the withholding of passports and other restrictions on their movement, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse. Women from Thailand, Morocco, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia are trafficked to Bahrain for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. The Thai government reported repatriating 256 Thai women who had been deceived or forced into prostitution in Bahrain.

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Bahrain: Online Trafficking in human documented with photos
Are there gangs of sexual exploitation in Bahrain?

Report By: Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
11 August 2007

Introduction:

Trafficking in human definition referred to using power, forgery, or coercion. These legal expressions are interpreted in panic, kidnap, beat, rape, cheat, dessert, and purposeful murder. Some victims are used to work as slaves in factories and farms. Some others – women and girls – are used as slaves in brothels all over the globe, while some others are kept for slavery at rich houses. The children are kidnapped for doing military work and sometimes they are forced to work as street beggars. Otherwise, they are tempted and treated badly in a new type of violation named sexual trade of children.

The start – finding them:

“There are websites for dating between females and males in different countries all over the world. Some of these websites are interested in Gulf countries, including Bahrain. On one of these websites, there are more than 1000 photos for young ladies from different nationalities. Most of them are under 25 years-old,” (M.H.) told Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR).

“I signed up at one of these websites and I was happy to find a way to contact girls in Bahrain and in other countries so easily. When I reviewed the website, I found dozens of photos for various girls. I did not expect to see photos for naked girls. That is why I wonder how come this website is only for dating,” M.H added.

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