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The Enslavement of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf

The Enslavement of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf. Nick McGeehan Mafiwasta. Outline. The GCC states Mafiwasta Migrant Workers Construction Domestic Service Camel Jockeys Is it slavery ? . The Gulf Cooperative States. Economically, socially, culturally homogenous

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The Enslavement of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf

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  1. The Enslavement of Migrant Workers in the Arabian Gulf Nick McGeehan Mafiwasta

  2. Outline • The GCC states • Mafiwasta • Migrant Workers • Construction • Domestic Service • Camel Jockeys • Is it slavery?

  3. The Gulf Cooperative States • Economically, socially, culturally homogenous • 0.5% of world population • 20% global oil production / reserves • Strong western allies • Recent history of slave trading and use of slaves • Dependence on migrant labour

  4. $Arabian Gulf vs. $South Asia

  5. Migrant Workers in the Gulf • Imposition of debt • Passport Confiscation • Kafala system • Denial of access to justice • Denial of trade union rights • No active civil society • Active repression of human rights defenders • No press freedom

  6. Construction/Labour Intensive • “Government entities are leading all the development activities with the private sector involved to a much lesser extent.” • Gulf News 2006 • $1.3 billion: Emaar’s 2006 profit $30 billion: Nakheel’s 2008 project portfolio $221.4 billion : 2008 value of construction contracts in the UAE

  7. Domestic Workers “The Committee is deeply concerned about the lack of protection of female migrant workers, especially domestic workers, when reporting cases of violence against them that may lead to them being treated as offenders, or accused of a crime or deported.” UN CEDAW Committee January 2010

  8. Camel Jockeys “Jockeys are not only abused, beaten, burned and tortured but also deprived of food and movement. Risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS is additional.”

  9. Slavery? 1926 Definition: “Slavery is the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised.”

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