Human rights group: Dubai Expo 2020 a hotbed for labor exploitation

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According to a new report by a human rights group, migrant workers in the multi-million dollar Dubai Expo 2020 are facing widespread exploitation and racial discrimination.

EquidemOrg, a labor rights consultancy that has previously investigated Expo workers' maltreatment during the epidemic, Tweeted that workers like security guards, bar staff, and cleaners reported paying illegal recruitment fees and have had their passports confiscated and salaries withheld.

"Human rights organisation @EquidemOrg in its latest report points out how racial discrimination at work, forced labour, illegal recruitment fees and migrant exploitation are a few of the ugly practices that line @expo2020dubai" https://t.co/OZvqgibitU

— Equidem.org (@EquidemOrg) February 2, 2022

According to Rory Sullivan for The Independent, interviews with nearly 70 labor workers confirmed that working conditions violated the own laws of the UAE, with illegal practices including retaining passports of employees and withholding wages.

Of those interviewed, 83% had to pay illegal recruitment fees and/or did not receive their full wages owed.

One resident from India who spoke on condition of anonymity said he was not fully paid for his work despite receiving assurances from his superiors. He added that employees are "treated like slaves."  Another anonymous worker reported a great deal of racial discrimination in the Expo.

Among those fired, Africans in particular were fired without compensation. According to The Independent, foreigners in the UAE outnumber the local population by nine to one. 

Mustafa Qadri, CEO of Equidem, says there is a great disconnection between the UAE's ambition to be modern and a global country and that if the exploitive practices at Dubai Expo 2020 are so widespread, one must question other forms of exploitation in the Emirates on a larger scale.

The Abu Dhabi government did not respond to a request for comment according to the Equidem report.

Construction worker deaths at Dubai Expo

In October, the UAE authorities gave conflicting figures over the number of workers killed on-site during the construction of the Dubai Expo 2020. Dubai first said five workers died during the construction and later on changed the toll to three.

Officials also said more than 70 workers sustained severe injuries on the construction site. However, the authorities insisted that the safety standards were "world-class".

Expo 2020 promises fairytale, delivers nightmare to workers

In December, The Washington Post reported that Dubai tainted its seemingly-immaculate image with very ugly poor working conditions.

According to Reuters, the UAE acknowledged in early September that it had detained and deported over 400 people for alleged human trafficking, assault, and extortion.

According to human rights groups, there have been constant violations due to the UAE's labor sponsorship system, which is based on a network of international subcontractors, binds employees' residency to employment, and gives businesses disproportionate authority.

In one case, over 80 individuals shared a single toilet. Many were stripped of passports and documents, rendering them unable to leave.

Insufficient food supply and long working hours were a repeated concern among workers when interviewed by the AP. 

A 40-year-old guard from Kenya says there is "no freedom. Work, sleep, work, sleep. You just need to try to survive one day to another.”