OMAN: Tier 2 Watch List
The Government of Oman does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated significant efforts during the reporting period by prosecuting traffickers and conducting trainings for law enforcement and prosecutorial and judicial personnel. It identified more victims and provided them with basic care, and continued to fund and operate an all-purpose shelter. The government also hired a full-time consultant to liaise between relevant agencies to create a whole-of-government approach to countering trafficking in Oman. However, the government did not demonstrate increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period. The government conducted fewer investigations, and prosecutions and convictions remained disproportionately low compared to the known trafficking problem in Oman. The government generally continued to process potential labor trafficking cases through mediation in labor courts rather than criminally investigating and prosecuting them. Officials remained without standardized mechanisms for the proactive identification of trafficking victims among vulnerable groups, and they relied on victims to self-identify. The government only referred victims to protective services if they filed cases with the public prosecutor. Therefore, Oman remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year.