Approval of a draft legal amendment that includes deterrent penalties for human trafficking crimes

Minister of Justice Dr. Bassam Talhouni said that the Cabinet's Legal Committee approved a draft law amending the Anti-Human Trafficking Law and referred it to the National Assembly for enactment. The amendment includes greater protection for victims and deterrent penalties for perpetrators of these crimes.

He added that Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, is committed to keeping pace with international developments in ensuring the protection of human rights and to ratifying all international agreements that combat the crime of human trafficking.

During his participation in the second session of the Government Forum to Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Middle East, which was held over two days in the United Arab Emirates via videoconference, he stated that Jordan has spared no effort in establishing a national legal and institutional framework and supporting all national, regional, and international efforts to combat this crime.

He pointed out that Jordan issued a special law in 2009 that included specific provisions to address this crime, and that all applicable legislation affirmed its commitment to implementing Jordan's commitments to international agreements that emphasize the protection and care of human rights.

He pointed to the efforts of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which resulted in the approval of a draft law amending the Anti-Human Trafficking Law by the Cabinet's Legal Committee. The draft law was then referred to the National Assembly for approval.

He explained that the draft law includes increased protection for victims and those affected, as well as stricter deterrent penalties for perpetrators of human trafficking crimes. It also establishes a fund to compensate victims, reflecting Jordan's commitment to providing national response mechanisms to combat this crime.

He pointed to the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking for the years 2019-2022, which includes several important axes, including prevention, protection, prosecution, partnership, and cooperation in combating human trafficking. It also supports the draft amendment to the Anti-Human Trafficking Law, focuses on the need to establish a specialized judiciary to hear human trafficking cases, provide greater protection and care for victims of this crime, and conduct specialized research studies in this field.

He said that the National Committee for the Prevention of Human Trafficking, headed by the Ministry of Justice, is working to monitor the implementation of activities stemming from the strategy's objectives and training on the national referral mechanism for dealing with victims of human trafficking.

It's worth noting that the National Committee for the Prevention of Human Tr