Shelter for human trafficking victims to open in September

AMMAN — The Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) plans to open a centre to house human trafficking victims in Jordan within three months.

“Maintenance work is ongoing now at the Family Reconciliation Centre [FRC] to establish a temporary section to house human trafficking victims,” Minister of Social Development Reem Abu Hassan told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the Council of Ministers approved a decision to turn a Social Development Ministry building into a shelter for victims of human trafficking. The 2,000-square-metre ministry building is currently under rehabilitation for this purpose.

“We expect the centre, that will be located in downtown Amman on Italian Street, to open in September,” the minister added.

Services to be offered to victims at the FRC and later at the centre that will open in downtown Amman will involve legal, social and psychological support, said Amer Hiassat, director of the Social Defence Department at the MoSD.

“Each case will be handled separately and based on each, we will decide what kind of assistance to offer,” Hiassat explained.

Last year, Jordan reported 17 human trafficking cases involving 54 males and 27 females, according to a report prepared by the National Anti-Trafficking Committee.

Statistics on human trafficking, according to the committee, stated the type of offence as involving forced labour of domestic helpers and labourers, sexual exploitation and cases related to children.

Jordan enforced the Anti-Human Trafficking Law in March 2009.

The Kingdom has also ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and its supplemental Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.