Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East, ‎pdf 4.1 MB

These sectors rely heavily on a predominantly male migrant workforce,
thus illustrating the particular vulnerabilities faced by men which are often
overlooked when the focus is exclusively or primarily on the trafficking of
women and girls. The recruitment process differs depending on the nationality
of the workers involved. Syrians, for instance, have easier access to the labour
markets in the Mashreq than Asian and African migrants, who are subject to
the kafala system. There are differences between economic sectors, too. For
instance, interviews with workers in the maritime industry revealed deceptive
practices related to living and working conditions. Hired as seafarers, some
suffer from delayed payment or non-payment of wages, forced overtime and
poor living conditions. Others were deceived about the nature of the job
itself: some men believed they were being recruited as drivers and gardeners,
only to find themselves sent by their employers out into the scorching desert
heat as animal herders. These migrant workers cannot leave their employers,
due to the kafala system, which severely constrains the mobility of workers.
Employers also prevent their employees from leaving by requiring them to
pay high fees for their release, withholding their wages as well as personal
documents.
The construction and agricultural sectors in the Middle East depend heavily
on foreign labour. Small and medium-sized companies and individual
employers tend to hire workers already in the country but with irregular
migration status, so as to avoid paying the costs of recruitment and travel from
countries of origin. Migrant workers often find themselves in this “informal”
labour market through no fault of their own. There is a prevailing practice of
kafeels recruiting foreign workers for non-existent jobs and then auctioning
off their visas to the highest bidder. Thus the fraudulent sponsor makes a
considerable profit for himself, while the unfortunate worker finds himself
stranded in the destination country, often in debt, with no job, and forced
to look for irregular work. PEAs also profit by illegally charging fees to both
workers and the employers. These workers are left in very precarious working
and living situations, and have limited recourse to support mechanisms and
justice. They too are constrained by the kafala system, and have difficulty
escaping exploitative situations.
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