موقع إخباري يهتم بفضائح و انتهاكات دولة الامارات

International Organization: Violations and Abuse of Migrant Workers’ Rights in the UAE

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An international organization has documented violations and abuse of migrant workers’ rights in the UAE, including their exposure to fraud by recruitment companies amid government failures to protect them.

The International Migrant Organization stated that Filipino workers face significant challenges in the UAE, particularly those employed in cleaning services, with approximately 650,000 Filipino workers spread across the Emirates.

In a statement published by Filipino media outlets, the organization expressed concern over increasing cases of contract substitution and labor rights violations experienced by Filipino workers in the UAE.

The organization called on the Philippine government and its local representatives to “examine closely the plight of our Filipino workers in the cleaning sector and take immediate action against unscrupulous agencies involved.”

According to the reports, many stranded Filipino janitors recruited through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration have had their labour rights and general welfare violated by their employers.

Migrant Organizations mentioned that upon their arrival in the host country, they discovered that their signed primary contracts had been replaced and/or revised without their consent.

They added that janitorial workers had suffered various labour abuses, such as unpaid extended working hours, unfair wage deductions, and other illegal company policies.

The organization also highlighted the verbal and psychological abuse experienced by cleaning workers and incidents of sexual harassment.

“These conditions have had negative physical and mental effects on the employees, and unfortunately, some have even led to death,” they stated.

Furthermore, they emphasized that it is distressing to know that such situations occur despite the numerous demanding requirements that most Filipino workers are expected to adhere to, which are supposed to protect migrant Filipino workers.

Two months ago, an international human rights organization raised concerns about the arrest of five Filipino individuals by UAE authorities, fearing discriminatory practices and reflecting a policy of targeting migrants in the country.

Skyline International, an organization for human rights, expressed its concerns in a statement obtained by “Emirates Lex” that the arrest of the individuals by UAE security authorities on the grounds of posting an inappropriate video on the popular social media platform TikTok, is part of arbitrary targeting of migrants.

The organization stated that available data indicate that the detained Filipinos shared a video intended for entertainment purposes and had no idea that it could cause them legal trouble in a country known for its openness like the UAE.

According to Renato Duenas Jr., the Consul General of the Philippines in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the case is still under investigation by the Sharjah Public Prosecution Office, and they are awaiting the court session.

Skyline International noted that through reviewing the video clips, they included presentations by girls that were no different from much of what is circulated on social media platforms, including TikTok, by influencers and content creators in the UAE. This raises concerns that the arrest operation was based on discriminatory grounds and as part of the repeated and arbitrary targeting of migrants.

They also pointed out that dozens of migrants, mainly from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Philippines, have previously faced discriminatory violations by the authorities, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and deportation without stating the reasons.

Skyline International emphasized the importance of respecting local customs and traditions while affirming adherence to international standards for ensuring the right to freedom of expression and publication, including on social media platforms.

They concluded their statement by affirming that the authorities in the UAE employ a range of laws, including those amended in late 2021, to pursue matters related to freedom of expression and publication and dealing with social media platforms. These actions violate international standards and infringe upon the civil and political rights of citizens, residents, and migrants. Finally, they called on the authorities to release the detained Filipino individuals.