Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East, â€Žpdf 4.1 MB

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3.3.2. Recruitment Migration: patterns and motivations Many workers migrate voluntarily to countries in the Middle East to work in a variety of occupational sectors, including construction, manufacturing, health, trade, hospitality and agriculture, and in the maritime sector as seafarers and fishermen. In the major destination countries of the region, labour markets have become segmented, with foreign and national workers employed in different sectors, subject to vastly differing terms and conditions of labour. There is a marked seasonal pattern to migration patterns: an official at Beirut International Airport commented that, “on average, we have during the high season 350 migrants arriving in Lebanon daily to work in various sectors, and anywhere between 50 and 100 in the low season”. 208 Migrants are attracted by the prospect of higher earnings than are available in their home countries. A Syrian construction worker who needed to earn money to support his family believed that there was a significant financial advantage to working in Lebanon, calculating that, “in order to feed a family in Syria, you need to send two persons of the household to work in Lebanon”. A Pakistani taxi driver in the UAE admitted that he had migrated because of family pressure: “As I have seven sisters who need to get married, and no brothers, I needed to make money to pay their dowries.” Box 3.19. Motivations for migrating “My family being rather poor, I didn’t go much to school when I was a kid. I learned to read and write Nepali at a very basic level and quickly started working to support my father who was a labourer. I didn’t make much money so I decided to go to India, but even there I was unable to provide sufficiently for the 12 people living in my house. That’s why I decided to move to a richer country.” Interview with a Nepalese cleaner and security guard, Dubai, UAE, 27 January 2012. Money was not the only consideration: several Iraqi, Sudanese and Afghan migrant workers interviewed in Lebanon and the UAE stated that the armed conflicts in their home countries had encouraged them to leave. Another migrant worker interviewed in the UAE highlighted the impact that migration has on others remaining in the home country: “When one person in the village travels, others will want to go to Dubai too.” 208 Interview with an official from the GDGS at the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanon, 27 Sep. 2011. 101
Indeed, many of those interviewed were influenced by the fact that relatives and friends had previously travelled to these countries. Many ignored the stark realities that awaited them as migrant workers and the possibility that their relatives might not tell them the whole truth. “Families often distort the facts, the narrative, as a mother will never tell her friends that her son cleaned bathrooms abroad,” explained a migrant community leader interviewed in Qatar. 209 Patterns of voluntary recruitment The recruitment process of these migrant workers who voluntarily sign up to work abroad differs by economic sector, nationality and geographical location. There are different ways of securing work abroad. A minority can find work more easily as they do not need a sponsor to facilitate their entry into and exit from the destination country. This is the case of Syrian workers in Lebanon and Jordan, who benefit from greater freedom of movement thanks to an existing treaty of cooperation between the countries. These workers do not need to obtain a travel visa. As an employer explained, “The Syrians travel by bus and have a red card, which allows them to enter Lebanon. They stay six months in Lebanon, and then cross the border to renew their red card.” 210 In this case, the ease of migrating encourages both women and men to cross the border in search of more lucrative work. Such ease of movement also implies that most Syrian workers do not rely on recruitment agencies to secure work opportunities in Lebanon and Jordan. Instead, as they explained in their interviews, “We just came to Lebanon and began searching for a job. Most of us work in construction, but a few are also hired by cleaning companies.” By contrast, under the kafala system currently prevailing in Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, migrant workers of other nationalities require a sponsor: a national of the destination country, who is responsible for the immigration and residency of the migrant worker. Those interviewed confirmed that there were different ways of finding a sponsor. One route was to travel to the destination country with a visitor’s visa and find a sponsor upon arrival. Indian and Sri Lankan workers at a packaging and cleaning factory in Lebanon admitted that “we all came through on tourist visas and then regularized our situation”. Many of those interviewed for the present research also spoke about the role of personal contacts, relatives and social networks already working in the Middle East in finding work opportunities by facilitating contacts with potential sponsors. A Pakistani employee in a food company in the UAE explained: “My brother was working here and arranged all my papers. I didn’t need to go through an agency.” 209 Interview with a migrant community leader, Qatar, 18 Jan. 2012. 210 Interview with an employer, Lebanon, 23 Sep. 2011. 102
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In collaboration with TRICKED AND T
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Copyright © International Labour O
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officials, worker and employer repr
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3.3.2. Recruitment 101 3.3.3. Work
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MoJ MoL MWPS MoSAL NCCHT NCT NGO NH
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LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1. Dimension
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The realization of this research pr
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In an effort to fill gaps in unders
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There have also been cases of anima
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CHAPTER 1: FRAMING THE ISSUE 1.1. D
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People trafficked for any of the ex
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1.2. GLOBAL DEBATES ON HUMAN TRAFFI
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processes by which migrant workers
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Concerted efforts have been made to
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documented abuses against domestic
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CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 2.1. RESEARC
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Table 2.1. Dimensions of forced lab
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Table 2.4. Indicators of impossibil
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2.2. OVERVIEW OF DATA COLLECTED In
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Having said that, the Middle East i
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individuals who voluntarily agree t
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3.1.2. Recruitment of domestic work
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domestic worker explained, “many
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An official from the NGO KAFA went
Page 51 and 52: Another Filipina explained the supp
Page 53 and 54: In Jordan, an official from Tamkeen
Page 55 and 56: workers supported by the NGO report
Page 57 and 58: on the balcony. When it got cold, I
Page 59 and 60: 3.1.4. Impossibility of leaving Wor
Page 61 and 62: Legally, the domestic worker has li
Page 63 and 64: embassy three times to make an emer
Page 65 and 66: given that it is not easy for a mig
Page 67 and 68: Analysis of the information provide
Page 69 and 70: country, or whose relatives are dec
Page 71 and 72: 3.2.2. Recruitment Recruitment of d
Page 73 and 74: to provide sexual services. Most of
Page 75 and 76: The research team was unable to int
Page 77 and 78: Box 3.9. A press report of traffick
Page 79 and 80: explained that in 2010 there were b
Page 81 and 82: There are conflicting views over th
Page 83 and 84: one nightclub owner in Amman. 144 T
Page 85 and 86: 2011, three minors and three adult
Page 87 and 88: Many reports confirm the interlinka
Page 89 and 90: Some claim that the situation of ar
Page 91 and 92: finish working, especially Tunisian
Page 93 and 94: Investigations carried out by the I
Page 95 and 96: Detention of women accused of prost
Page 97 and 98: Lack of any economic and social alt
Page 99 and 100: 3.3. OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES 3.3.
Page 101: Table 3.3. Overview of four process
Page 105 and 106: workers, often requiring them to ta
Page 107 and 108: not suitable for the position so th
Page 109 and 110: The case of seafarers Stories emerg
Page 111 and 112: personnel from the ports to offshor
Page 113 and 114: of destination often happen through
Page 115 and 116: and we will find him a new job”.
Page 117 and 118: Degrading living and working condit
Page 119 and 120: Ministerial Decree 1186 (2010) was
Page 121 and 122: Retention of personal documents Lac
Page 124 and 125: CHAPTER 4: REGIONAL RESPONSES TO HU
Page 126 and 127: In Lebanon, the Government ratified
Page 128 and 129: trafficking efforts in the seven em
Page 130 and 131: stipulating that employers must giv
Page 132 and 133: In Kuwait, in the absence of a spec
Page 134 and 135: 4.1.5. Prosecution of human traffic
Page 136 and 137: Box 4.1. Ending the use of child ca
Page 138 and 139: 4.2. STRENGTHENING THE INSTITUTIONA
Page 140 and 141: order management officers at the ai
Page 142 and 143: government action has, however, bee
Page 144 and 145: Box 4.3. Ending forced labour in th
Page 146 and 147: among migrant workers and no protoc
Page 148 and 149: to the needs of their citizens. The
Page 150 and 151: Dialogue in 2008 to promote a colla
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CHAPTER 5: A WAY FORWARD Comprehens
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to legally terminate a contract aft
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5.3.2. Taking measures to reduce vu
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attention also needs to be given to
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with new skills, which will make it
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ANNEX: LIST OF STATES PARTIES TO KE
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BIBLIOGRAPHY National legislation B
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Lebanon Labour Code, 1946. Law on E
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International Convention on the Pro
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The Economist. 2010. “Little bett
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—. 2006. Multilateral Framework o
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—. 2011b. Qatar’s ambitions for
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—. 2010. The international legal
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Transient Workers Count Two. 2012.
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This regional study sheds light on
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