migrant women in the United Arab Emirates

emphasizes their integral part in the nation’s development or, furthermore, puts their own
lives at the centre of the study. Issues addressed in these studies include the negative
impact on United Arab Emirates children, language of children, values of children,
defected socialization of children, ill-treatment of children, abuse of Islamic norms and
values, health hazards, etc. (Khalifa 1986; Khalaf et al. 1987; Al-Khalfan Hanan 1985;
Abd-Al-Jawad Issam 1985; Ministry of Work and Social Affairs 1990; and Al-Jirdawi
1990).
The above studies go into detailed descriptions of how foreign nannies negatively
affect the children of nationals. Most of them place the main responsibility for this problem
on the mothers themselves, portraying United Arab Emirates women as careless and
superficial in their preference for a luxurious life over the well being of their children.
Police studies are the most rigid of all on foreign female domestic worker. They base their
conclusions on studies of foreign female domestic worker criminals and United Arab
Emirates women's perception of foreign female domestic worker crimes. Their statistics
show that most crimes committed by foreign female domestic workers in Dubai during
1991–92 are related to adultery (up to 50 per cent). The second highest crime reported was
theft (30 per cent). The third is the violation of immigration laws (10 per cent), and the rest
are less representative, for example, murder (Najib et al. 1993).
A more critical approach to the treatment of the foreign female domestic worker in
the United Arab Emirates household is pronounced among some United Arab Emirates
intellectuals and Government officials. Said Bin Bellelah, the General Director to the
Dubai Migration office states: “United Arab Emirates society suffers from the degrading
perception of the foreign female domestic worker. This negative perception is causing
major problems in the relationship between the foreign female domestic worker and her
sponsors. This wrong perception is also recreated along the new generation and United
Arab Emirates children mistreat the foreign female domestic worker” (Kul Al Usra, March
2001). Another United Arab Emirates prominent figure says: “This society is recreating
generations of dependent personalities who request that domestics do everything for them.
Our full reliance on domestics in the household is encouraging the growth of an
unproductive family” (Kul Al Usra, 2001).
In short, foreign female domestic workers in the United Arab Emirates have their own
problems, brought with them in the migration process. These problems, however, are
aggravated and mishandled on all levels inside the United Arab Emirates. Who is
responsible? Who is to blame? Is it national poverty? Is it international poverty? Is it the
United Arab Emirates’ social context? Is it the United Arab Emirates’ laws of migration
and its foreign labour regulations? Is it the individual employers? Is it the foreign female
domestic workers and their lack of knowledge and experience of the United Arab Emirates
society? The situation is highly complicated and it is not easy to uncover all the facts. This
report, however, addresses the issue from the foreign female domestic worker’s own
perspective given work conditions, life as expatriates, uprooted from their country and
family.
2.2. Trafficking
Trafficking is generally understood as bringing in illegal persons to be exploited and
pushed to work in illegal situations, such as prostitution or other illegal [nationally or
internationally] forms. It is not an acceptable practice in the United Arab Emirates and the
Government works hard to seal its borders and ports to trafficking. Accessing reports and
information on trafficking is difficult, however, one would suspect that trafficking does
exist in limited forms, especially since entrance to United Arab Emirates on a visit visa is
easy and accessible even at travel agencies or hotels.
UAE Working Paper_1 13