Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, in Countries of the Middle East: The Scope of the Problem and the Appropriate Legislative Responses

This article provides an overview of the trafficking industry in Middle Eastern countries and examines governmental responses. Legislative responses are assessed according to the minimal standards set out in the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. The article also looks at the UN Trafficking Protocol to evaluate Middle Eastern governments' responses and what more they need to do to meet their international obligations. The author points out that legislative approaches in this region tend to vary as not all countries have criminalized all forms of trafficking nor provided protection or assistance to trafficked persons. He concludes with a set of recommendations for legislative changes. [Descriptors: Migration - Trafficking, International - Asia]