International Index: UAE Among the Top 10 Countries Practicing Slavery in the World
An international indicator has included the UAE among the top 10 countries practising slavery in the world in the latest condemnation of Abu Dhabi’s dark record in human trafficking and the violation of the rights of migrant workers.
According to a report issued by the “Global Slavery Index” for the year 2023, the UAE ranks in the top ten countries in terms of practising slavery, as the “sponsorship system” restricts the rights of foreign workers.
The UAE is listed alongside countries such as North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Russia, and Afghanistan, all of which have the highest levels of slavery in the world.
According to the index, these ten countries share characteristics of modern slavery, including “limited protection of civil liberties and human rights.”
The report indicated that approximately 50 million people “lived in conditions of modern slavery” in 2021, an increase of ten million people since 2016, which was the last time the issue was measured.
The number includes around 28 million people suffering from forced labour and 22 million victims of forced marriage.
The report, which collected data from the organization “Walk Free” for human rights, defines modern slavery as including “forced labour, forced or servile marriage, debt bondage, forced commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, practices similar to slavery, and the sale and exploitation of children.”
The fundamental principle of slavery is “the systematic removal of someone’s freedom,” including the right to accept or refuse work, the freedom to choose when and whom to marry.
Last year, a European anti-slavery campaign was launched to raise awareness about the rejection of slavery and human trafficking in the UAE.
As part of the initiative, slogans were written in the heart of several European cities carrying the text “Stop Slavery and Human Trafficking in the UAE” to highlight international criticism directed at the UAE for its record on slavery and human trafficking.
According to its organizers, the anti-slavery campaign aimed to mobilize public and civil efforts to pressure governments to take effective measures against the UAE to stop slavery practices on its territory.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) recently announced the launch of an international campaign against the slavery of migrant workers in the UAE in the latest condemnation of Abu Dhabi’s severe violations.
The union highlighted that business leaders in the UAE have immense power, while workers have few or no rights at all.
Migrant workers make up 90% of the workforce in the UAE and work under conditions that many describe as “modern-day slavery.”
According to the International Trade Union Confederation, the UAE is also a safe haven for companies that attack the rights of migrant workers and force them to live in poor conditions.
The International Confederation expressed solidarity with migrant workers who are subjected to mistreatment in the UAE, calling for an end to their dire situation, including mistreatment, confiscation of passports, and the requirement of employer consent to change jobs or leave the country.
The UAE has a dark record in human trafficking violations, as confirmed by dozens of reports and international testimonies regarding the recruitment of girls from war-torn areas for prostitution and the mistreatment and crushing of the rights of migrant workers.
In this context, the Daily Mail revealed warnings that Ukrainian women and children are being trafficked to the UAE for the purpose of human trafficking and sexual slavery amid the war being waged by Russia on the country.
The report stated that experts have warned that vulnerable Ukrainian women and children are likely to be trafficked for sexual slavery and domestic servitude in the UAE.
The report indicated that millions of Ukrainians had fled the country, torn apart by war since Russia’s brutal advance began in February last year. This led to increased concerns about refugees falling victim to trafficking.
According to reports, some individuals have been targeted in Polish refugee camps, but experts believe that many forcibly deported have also been contacted in Russia.
A new report by the Washington Institute for Defense and Security and the New York Center for Foreign Affairs revealed that some of these “missing” women and children may be trafficked to the United Arab Emirates.
