Anti-Human Trafficking Law in the Sultanate of Oman: An Analytical Study

Abstract

Human trafficking is one of the most dangerous types of crimes committed on Earth, as it concerns human dignity, which must be preserved and never violated under any circumstances. Due to the significant importance of this crime, most countries worldwide have been striving to combat it, as it occurs in many nations in various forms and patterns, and sometimes common methods are used. Like other legislators around the world, although human trafficking is not prominent in Oman, the Omani legislator has given this crime significant attention. In fact, Oman has dedicated a specific law to combat it, which includes clear provisions aimed at eliminating the roots of this crime in the country. Based on the importance of combating this crime, the study aimed to examine the provisions of the Anti-Human Trafficking Law in Oman, analyze them, and explore their contents to understand them, identify the beneficial aspects of the law based on the study author's knowledge or previous research, and highlight provisions that require serious efforts and a thorough review. This led the researcher to address the study problem in three parts: the first part covers the elements of human trafficking, the second part explains the penal policy adopted to eradicate human trafficking in Oman, and the third part discusses specific provisions of the crime in Omani law.

The study concluded with several findings, the most important being: human trafficking can take various forms, such as forcing the victim to perform work without pay, engaging in prostitution, or using or harvesting parts of the human body for sale, among other forms. The mandatory exemption from the crime of human trafficking applies if the crime is committed before it is discovered, while the discretionary exemption applies after the crime has been committed and discovered.

The study recommended several actions, including the necessity of including provisions in the Anti-Human Trafficking Law to protect victims, particularly in cases where the victim is a child, and establishing procedures for repatriating victims of human trafficking if the victim is a foreign worker.