UAE to establish prosecution unit for domestic worker victims to ‘come forward’

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) said on Wednesday that it will be establishing a prosecution unit for domestic workers.

Established by the Chairman of ADJD, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, the department aims to encourage victims of abuse to come forward and report any il-treatments from sponsors, reported The National.

It also seeks to ensure that such cases are handled promptly and given undivided attention.

Speaking to the newspaper, labor attaché at the Philippines Embassy, Ophelia Almenario said that “workers will now be more motivated to go forward with their cases, if the time for their prosecution will be shortened, and we believe it will be now that there will be a special prosecution, maybe they will be encouraged to fight for their rights.”

She continued saying that most domestic abuse cases come in through the embassy. Most workers also “just want to go home to the Philippines because it takes a long time for prosecution,” she added.

Also, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, Nasser al-Hamli, said that this department will also ensure that the workers’ rights and dignities are “preserved and protected.”