Globally, human trafficking is perceived as a contemporary approach to slavery. Despite being ranked in the top richest countries globally, greatly recognized for their skyscrapers and glitzy malls, the UAE success can be traced back to the enormous supply of human labor from other nations. In light of this, an approximate 90% of the UAE population is comprised of the expatriates/non-nationals often recruited in dangerous assignments in construction and domestic chores (US Department of State, 2017). The most critical aspect that needs a prompt consideration is how the expatriates enter the countries which have already been handled effectively by UAE government. The UAE policies are friendly and accommodative. Nevertheless, the human traffickers are discriminatory to the migrant’s workers leaving them in jeopardy. There is a restriction of changing employers in UAE even in the event of an intense jeopardizing of human rights. The UAE government instituted this policy in good intentions of having all records right, but human traffickers have misused the policy. The forceful recruitment of construction and domestic workers into UAE is termed as human trafficking. Constructors in UAE business hubs, museums and universities are trapped into cheap and forced labor after fake promises on salaries and plausible working conditions. Nevertheless, UAE government has put best and strategic mechanisms for mitigating the rising levels of human trafficking through legislation, enforcement, victim support and bilateral agreements and international partnerships. This research project will evaluate the scope of human trafficking in UAE and the government strategic initiatives in combating the prevalence of the issue.

1.2 Research Statement

In UAE, human traffickers recruitment, transportation, and receipt of individuals forcefully or through coercion, kidnapping, fraudulently and through deceit has been on the rise as early as the 1970s. Currently, UAE is a ripe destination for the transit of men and women particularly from the South, South-east and Central Asia. However, UAE government has been effective in mitigating these cases to zero percentage. Despite human trafficking impacting on the UAE image as a renowned hub for business negatively, UAE government has resuscitated the process. The practice has intensified and revolutionized to include sexual abuse, involuntary servitude, mistreatment, coercion, and ill-treatment in the workforce. As a consequence, there are millions of casualties of UAE human trafficking globally from all races, gender and ages exploited in the forced labor, sexual exploitation and other forms of crime. However, through government intervention, these cases have drastically reduced.

The approach adopted by the UAE government to mitigate human trafficking has gone through a permanent overhaul due to its past inefficiency of adequately combating the rising statistics of human trafficking. One of the fundamental strategies that have been embraced by the UAE government is monitoring the migration issues, passports and residence of the foreigners through legislation. Equal efforts have been invested in the follow-up to the employment and recruitment processes and raising awareness through education. Human traffickers are also being brought to book due to their inept practices.

1.3 Research Goals

Three central goals have been formulated for this research. The initial purpose is to conduct research on the current situation of the human trafficking issue in the context of Government and international human rights organizations. The fundamental idea is to evaluate the existing government efforts to combat the problem and determine its weakness. The research will include an analysis of the forms of human trafficking prevalent in UAE. Lastly, the current government efforts in combating human trafficking will be evaluated in-depth. Ostensibly, the existence of a range of aspects to be studied offers an opportunity to source the root cause of human trafficking and portable device approaches of mitigating the problem. In the end, policy recommendations for solving the human trafficking issues will be offered and mitigate the consequences of the problem.

1.4 Research Questions

Q1; what is the meaning of human trafficking? Under what circumstances does it occur?

Q2; what are the forms of human trafficking in UAE and what are their root cause?

Q3; what are the efforts adopted by the UAE government in ensuring a mitigation of the human trafficking issue? Are there any recommendations for improving the currently adopted strategies?

2.0Literature Review

2.1 Human Trafficking Definition

Human trafficking is a complex process that cannot be coined by a single definition. As noted by Lutya (2012), it is a clandestine and operates in the realms of illegal systems and structures hardening the capacity of tracing the culprits or prosecuting them. The initial consolidated definition of human trafficking was incorporated into the 2000 Protocol for preventing, suppressing and punishing the trafficking in persons particularly women and children. According to United Nations, Human Rights (2014) human trafficking is a process in which individuals are placed or maintained in an exploitative phenomenon for economic gain. The process can occur within the borders or across the borders. This definition has been adopted by the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human beings and ratified by 25 member states. This caucus has identified the human trafficking as a process that can be categorized into three distinct categories which are people movement, strategies for controlling people and exploitation.

In the first category, movement of people entails the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring people illegally and unauthorized receipt of individuals. In second category, controlling of the victims is inclusive of the threats or application of force or other types of coercion, abduction, fraud and deception. This also includes offering or receiving bribery for achieving consent of an individual having control over the other. Lastly, irrespective of the trafficking activities taking place, the consent of the victim is deemed irrelevant and fails to offer any nullification of an individual claim of victimization (Hughes, 2004).

Adopting the definition of Lutya (2012) a human trafficker is a person who directly or indirectly takes part in one or more stages of the human trafficking as demonstrated above. As aforementioned, human trafficking is a multifaceted practice that transcends different borders. Hence, participation in any of the mentioned steps (recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons) qualifies an individual to become a trafficker.

2.2Theories of Human Trafficking

2.2.1 Rational Choice Theory

This theory holds that criminals are rational beings with their decision to participate in criminal activities are motivated by the proceeds of crime perpetration. To affirm this, Lanier and Henry (2004) argued that crime is deterministic in nature with the decision to engage in crime being a practice of free-will prompted by analysis of existing opportunities, circumstances and occurrences. All these factors facilitate a successful penetration of a planned crime. As highlighted by Brown and Esbensen (2010), the rational decision making to engage in crime is inclusive of considerations on modus operadi, implications to the victim and consequences that results. Generally, rational theorists have argued that engagement in crime is a multifaceted practice that is influenced by a wide range of multidimensional factors.

In this research, rational choice theory can be adopted to harness the understanding of human trafficking process. Notably, children and women human trafficking to engage in prostitution is an automatic process triggered by the above-described process. The extent in which the human traffickers make choices on their victims is hedged on the gains accrued from the proceeds of crime and potential victim’s vulnerability.

2.2.2 Demand Theory in Human Trafficking

The demand for domestic workers, constructors and prostitutes can be segmented into three distinct categories. They include the users or purchasers of the services, profiteers from contracting these services and the social, cultural attitudes towards the delivery of these services (Hughes, 2004)). The social-cultural perceptions by the media and community can lead to an increase in an involuntary attraction of people leading to human trafficking.

In this study, the increased concern by the general population on the rise of the cases of human trafficking elicits an approach by different authorities to mitigate the proliferation of the cases. Ultimately, the heightened concern leads to an attraction to the practice as a positive response to the processes that have been adopted to manage the vice.

American University Dubai INST 499: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES CAPSTONE II

Question

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Project Description