Migrant workers employed at Expo 2020 allege confiscated passports, racial discrimination and withheld wages
Security guards, cleaners and hospitality staff at Dubai’s Expo 2020 in the are allegedly working in highly abusive conditions that may amount to forced labour, according to a human rights group.
But Equidem’s report highlighted the, “significant disconnect between the Emirate’s stated ambition of being a modern, international state and the reality of racial discrimination and forced labour practices that migrant workers are facing”. More than half the 69 workers interviewed for the report said they had paid recruitment fees in their own countries to secure their jobs. Many claimed their employers were aware of this practice but failed to intervene or reimburse the fees. The practice, which is illegal in the UAE, often leaves workers deep in debt.
Virtually all workers said their passports were held by their employer. While most said they could get them back on request, the practice is illegal and can be used by some companies to control their workforce.Photograph: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images
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