To those who say this is bad belle - I beg to differ.

As a Nigerian who lived in Kuwait for 11 years, I'd like to let you know that the article is at least 90% accurate in its depiction of not only Dubai but some of the other GCC countries.

The formula is quite simple. Recruiting Agencies travel to 3rd world countries to find people interested in working in Dubai. They sign a contract to pay them a certain amount. Let us say $500 a month. Once those unfortunate folks enter the country, their passports are collected and they are hired out to various companies. In Kuwait for example, it was mostly Indians and Bangladeshis. These people often worked 10 to 12 hours a day and would then be handed salaries sometimes as low as $80 per month. This was the same for construction companies and for companies that hired out maids. You can't leave, you can't complain since you are only considered half the human being a citizen is. You can't go to court cause the clan-based culture of these societies makes sure their judges always favor their own people.

Now, think about it. How can you come to a country to work as a maid and be used for 12 to 16 hours a day and end up being paid $60 a month. Even in Nigeria, it becomes easy to see why you can't do much with that if you have family back home expecting you to send them cash.

The excuse of most of these citizens and companies give is - "We provide you feeding, housing and transportation, so, we are extremely kind to even give you any money". See it as you may but that was not the agreement these people signed before leaving their countries.

Now, all this may seem fine but when you compare it with the living standards of the citizens, you start to see a difference. The average Kuwait will get free education, be guaranteed a job after graduating, will get a house upon marriage and so many other perks. As a medical student in Kuwait, the average 5th year and above Kuwaiti student now gets $1500 cash paid to their bank accounts as allowances on the 21st of each month. This is despite the free education and sometimes free books made available to the students. Yet, the staff who work to clean the same classrooms these student sit in will get there as early as 5:30am each morning on buses from their hostels (prisons), work till 5pm, be again packed unto the buses and carted away and at the end of the month receive $70. Why?? Simply because of their nationality or race. They are denied contact with the citizens or expatriates and unless in the most extreme cases denied health care or any contact with the world outside their work environment.

In some GCC countries, the citizens don't do manual labor. Office work is the norm. They go there. Sit down and leave after 4 hours of so of work. Some will receive several thousand dollars for their efforts. Now, why is it OK to pay another human being only $70 a month when you have been blessed with so much. No taxes. No electricity, water, or phone bills in most cases. Yet people need to be so selfish that they look down on, sexually assault, batter and sometimes murder foreign nationals in their employ.

In Kuwait, It is typical to see a family consisting of Father, Mother and two children with 3 Nannies, 1 gardener, 2 drivers all working for the same family. The mother has no need to do anything. Neither do the children cause they have people who they can pay to do that. And if you don't pay them, What are they gonna do?? Call the police?? All the policemen are your kinsmen. You have the staff members passport. They can't leave. If they run away, you have the police hunt them down and bring them back.


How does this relate to Nigeria. Well, I guess the only thing I can say is that it warns us to be careful. We are also a third world country. Because the target of these opportunists are currently Indians, Bangladeshis, Somalis, Ethiopians etc does not mean our people cannot fall victim. Another thing is that we as human beings have a duty to one another. To condemn what is wrong and to promote what is right. What these countries are doing is wrong.

Contrary to popular opinion in Nigeria, there are worse situations in this world than living in Nigeria.

Luckily, In my time In Kuwait, I saw almost no Nigerians trapped in Kuwait by such methods. I do know of two or three that almost fell victim before they were advised to stay back home in Nigeria. I have no doubt that there are Nigerian woman in Dubai now, trapped there and involved in sexual slavery. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.


Dubai seems to be a more extreme situation than seen in some GCC countries but this is quite widespread there. This is slavery and it is wrong. My only question is why should people who have so much be so unwilling to share it with others??

RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL ALL OVER THE WORLD BUT IT IS WORSE IN A LOT OF PLACES YOU LEAST EXPECT.

Johann Hari is gay, just sayin

sour grapes

jensinmi:

To those who say this is bad belle - I beg to differ.

As a Nigerian who lived in Kuwait for 11 years, I'd like to let you know that the article is at least 90% accurate in its depiction of not only Dubai but some of the other GCC countries.

The formula is quite simple. Recruiting Agencies travel to 3rd world countries to find people interested in working in Dubai. They sign a contract to pay them a certain amount. Let us say $500 a month. Once those unfortunate folks enter the country, their passports are collected and they are hired out to various companies. In Kuwait for example, it was mostly Indians and Bangladeshis. These people often worked 10 to 12 hours a day and would then be handed salaries sometimes as low as $80 per month. This was the same for construction companies and for companies that hired out maids. You can't leave, you can't complain since you are only considered half the human being a citizen is. You can't go to court cause the clan-based culture of these societies makes sure their judges always favor their own people.

Now,  think about it. How can you come to a country to work as a maid and be used for 12 to 16 hours a day and end up being paid $60 a month. Even in Nigeria, it becomes easy to see why you can't do much with that if you have family back home expecting you to send them cash.

The excuse of most of these citizens and companies give is -  "We provide you feeding, housing and transportation,  so,  we are extremely kind to even give you any money". See it as you may but that was not the agreement these people signed before leaving their countries.

Now,  all this may seem fine but when you compare it with the living standards of the citizens, you start to see a difference. The average Kuwait will get free education, be guaranteed a job after graduating, will get a house upon marriage and so many other perks. As a medical student in Kuwait, the average 5th year and above Kuwaiti student now gets $1500 cash paid to their bank accounts as allowances on the 21st of each month. This is despite the free education and sometimes free books made available to the students. Yet,  the staff who work to clean the same classrooms these student sit in will get there as early as 5:30am each morning on buses from their hostels (prisons), work till 5pm, be again packed unto the buses and carted away and at the end of the month receive $70. Why?? Simply because of their nationality or race. They are denied contact with the citizens or expatriates and unless in the most extreme cases denied health care or any contact with the world outside their work environment.

In some GCC countries, the citizens don't do manual labor. Office work is the norm. They go there. Sit down and leave after 4 hours of so of work. Some will receive several thousand dollars for their efforts. Now,  why is it OK to pay another human being only $70 a month when you have been blessed with so much. No taxes. No electricity, water, or phone bills in most cases. Yet people need to be so selfish that they look down on, sexually assault, batter and sometimes murder foreign nationals in their employ.

In Kuwait, It is typical to see a family consisting of Father, Mother and two children with 3 Nannies, 1 gardener, 2 drivers all working for the same family. The mother has no need to do anything. Neither do the children cause they have people who they can pay to do that. And if you don't pay them, What are they gonna do?? Call the police?? All the policemen are your kinsmen. You have the staff members passport. They can't leave. If they run away, you have the police hunt them down and bring them back.


How does this relate to Nigeria. Well,  I guess the only thing I can say is that it warns us to be careful. We are also a  third world country. Because the target of these opportunists are currently Indians, Bangladeshis, Somalis, Ethiopians etc does not mean our people cannot fall victim. Another thing is that we as human beings have a duty to one another. To condemn what is wrong and to promote what is right. What these countries are doing is wrong.

Contrary to popular opinion in Nigeria, there are worse situations in this world than living in Nigeria.

Luckily,  In my time In Kuwait, I saw almost no Nigerians trapped in Kuwait by such methods. I do know of two or three that almost fell victim before they were advised to stay back home in Nigeria. I have no doubt that there are Nigerian woman in Dubai now,  trapped there and involved in sexual slavery. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.


Dubai seems to be  a more extreme situation than seen in some GCC countries but this is quite widespread there. This is slavery and it is wrong. My only question is why should people who have so much be so unwilling to share it with others??

RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL ALL OVER THE WORLD BUT IT IS WORSE IN A LOT OF PLACES YOU LEAST EXPECT.

wow, somebody speaking the truth. You have all this people in here that have never step in any GCC countries blaming the journalist because he spoke the truth. People are forcefully being put in slavery and the government is not doing anything about it.  Their stupid government actually supports this inhumane treatment. How can anybody that read that article have no sympathy. The fact that this men are tricked out of their countries to become slaves it's a crime in itself and the fact that the government encourages such act is despicable. People should stop comparing this to the west. In the western world, if the government hear of something like this, whoever is in charge would be in jail by now. In many of the GCC countries, the government is actually the one encouraging this act.

The point of that article is that what Dubai is doing will not sustain them economically in the future.

To those saying it's sour grapes, kindly sign up to go live in the Sonapur settlement for a week. . . .by the time you're done you won't know the difference between piss and sweat.

Oba234:



wow, somebody speaking the truth. You have all this people in here that have never step in any GCC countries blaming the journalist because he spoke the truth. People are forcefully being put in slavery and the government is not doing anything about it.  Their silly government actually supports this inhumane treatment. How can anybody that read that article have no sympathy. The fact that this men are tricked out of their countries to become slaves it's a crime in itself and the fact that the government encourages such act is despicable. People should stop comparing this to the west. In the western world, if the government hear of something like this, whoever is in charge would be in jail by now. In many of the GCC countries, the government is actually the one encouraging this act.

The point of that article is that what Dubai is doing will not sustain them economically in the future.

stop acting ignorant. the west is the purveyor of slavery. their is a reason why they enslaved their fellow americans for 400 years and used them for labor and paid them nothing. at least in dubai they get 80 dollars a month. just because the west is presenting a good front in this day and age does not mean they do not practice slavery. this time around they are systematic with their slavery. they introduced the new world order called GLOBALIZATION  and then shipped all their jobs to these third world sweat shops where people are paid 3 dollars a day for working 14 hours. the guy who wrote that article, na sour grapes dey worry am.
even in america, all these undocumented workers are used and abused by americans. some get paid 2 dollars an hour. my friend SLAVERY is the white mans cash cow.

[size=18pt]it is Fcken clear and simple. . Stay in ur gaddemn useless country! unless u going to work professionally[/size]

debosky:

To those saying it's sour grapes, kindly sign up to go live in the Sonapur settlement for a week. . . .by the time you're done you won't know the difference between piss and sweat.  

piss and sweat ? i will NEVER go to sonapur or any arab country simply because i am allergic to arabs. but if i decide to go, best believe they are going to pay me 5 thousand dollars a month   either that or a bunch of arabs are getting shot by me. i stay strapped son  . something about them arab people gives me the hibby jibbys. either they are kissing white peoples butt or they are blowing shytt up. no inbetween for them. they also are the most racist mahfukaz. i almost had to slap this 50 something year old indian man last week. i was all up in his face ready to connect with an uppercut but then i just remember say JAIL is not my portion

buzugee:

stop acting ignorant. the west is the purveyor of slavery. their is a reason why they enslaved their fellow americans for 400 years and used them for labor and paid them nothing. at least in dubai they get 80 dollars a month. just because the west is presenting a good front in this day and age does not mean they do not practice slavery. this time around they are systematic with their slavery. they introduced the new world order called GLOBALIZATION  and then shipped all their jobs to these third world sweat shops where people are paid 3 dollars a day for working 14 hours. the guy who wrote that article, na sour grapes dey worry am.
even in america, all these undocumented workers are used and abused by americans. some get paid 2 dollars an hour. my friend SLAVERY is the white mans cash cow.

So because the West practices slavery (according to you) that makes the abuses by the Dubai authorities ok?

Talk about warped thinking. People are LIED TO, led into debt and shipped to foreign countries to work for wages below what they agreed, their passports collected and subject to various abuses and you're here calling it sour grapes?  

And people wonder why things remain the way they are in Nigeria.

debosky:

So because the West practices slavery (according to you) that makes the abuses by the Dubai authorities ok?

Talk about warped thinking. People are LIED TO, led into debt and shipped to foreign countries to work for wages below what they agreed, their passports collected and subject to various abuses and you're here calling it sour grapes?  

And people wonder why things remain the way they are in Nigeria.

my fren, if you are gullible enough to get sucked into a country with sharia laws and human rights abuse, for unskilled employment, then it is your time to get weeded out of humanity for stupidity. its a dog eat dog world we live in. the weak are truncated while the strong survive. just call it nature weeding off the mentally inept.

buzugee:

piss and sweat ? i will NEVER go to sonapur or any arab country simply because i am allergic to arabs. but if i decide to go, best believe they are going to pay me 5 thousand dollars a month   either that or a bunch of arabs are getting shot by me. i stay strapped son  . something about them arab people gives me the hibby jibbys. either they are kissing white peoples butt or they are blowing shytt up. no inbetween for them. they also are the most racist mahfukaz. i almost had to slap this 50 something year old indian man last week. i was all up in his face ready to connect with an uppercut but then i just remember say JAIL is not my portion

Indian my done turn to Arab for you eye? u sure say no be bros oluwole help you enter yankee?  

served in Borno state. . . sumtimes it gets so hot u cant pee in daysssss. . . . dats after taking 10times more water than normal! still people urinate blood and cough out blood for not taking enuf water


i dnt wanna imagine wat those construction workers are going tru mehn
its the 21st century and this is still happening?
damn, . . God is really patient

Dis Guy:

Indian my done turn to Arab for you eye? u sure say no be bros oluwole help you enter yankee?  

indian, pakistani, arab, saudi, qatar,  algerian, egyptian, morrocan, they are all the same to me. i dont like being around them

Sticking to the cold facts when you factor in feeding transportaion and housing what is the direct cost expended per employee?
Besides this amount of $80 per month applies to the least qualified manual worker or porter.

Maybe these guys are tough and disciplined enough to go home with substantial savings at the end of their contract.

I tend to agree that this is a hatchet job by the jouno Hari and there is a myopic tendency in some segments of the media to see things through a Western prism.

buzugee:

indian, pakistani, arab, saudi, qatar,  algerian, egyptian, morrocan, they are all the same to me. i dont like being around them

Nevertheless you can't expect to get away with confusing an Indian for an Arab. They are not the same and do not have similar racist views.

tensor777:

Nevertheless you can't expect to get away with confusing an Indian for an Arab. They are not the same and do not have similar racist views.

to me they are the same. they look the same. they dress the same. they all kiss white butt. they are all hypocrites. i dont differentiate.
i am not trying to get away with anything. this is just how i view all the islamic turban wearing brown people of the world. i see them all as one

The guilty party is mainly the JOB AGENT, who are mostly foreigners themselves, they go scouting for the poorest builders and construction workers in S.E offer them fancy fliers and promise them everything and collecting monies upfront only to enslave them

buzugee:

to me they are the same. they look the same. they dress the same. they all kiss white butt. they are all hypocrites. i dont differentiate.
i am not trying to get away with anything. this is just how i view all the[b] islamic turban[/b] wearing brown people of the world. i see them all as one

Majority of Indians are Hindus/Hindi not Muslims and don't wear turban

Dis Guy:

Majority of Indians are Hindus/Hindi not Muslims and don't wear turban

like i said bruh ? they are all the same to me.
before the white man got involved in slavery who do you think was enslaving black people ? arabs
egypt, algeria, libya and morocco used to be for black AFRIKANS then the arabs invaded from the north and pushed us south and now they are occupying our land but yet these same people are making so much noise over isreal occupying their land. hypocrites. and if you go to london into an indian shop, the indians will not watch the white people but as soon as you step in, they follow you around like a hawk.
yeah i got more storys if you want 
i am allergic to middle easterners

What I kept wondering about while reading through this article is what the governments of these countries are doing diplomatically to take care of their citizens. It is really sad.

@Buzugee
Look here my friend I don't know where you are based as you did not even bother to put your location. A little bit of cultural interaction would not go amiss.
But I still insist there is a big difference in attitude as between the mainly Hindu Indians and the mainly Muslim Arabs and Pakistanis. In fact racism is somewhat institutionalised in the Hindi religion what with all the caste hierarchy present there. On the other hand there is tendency in Islam to see fellow muslims as brothers regardless of colour or creed.
These very different attitudes also influence their dealings with the so-called infidels inasmuch as it does not involve or impinge upon their faith.

tensor777:

@Buguzee
Look here my friend I don't know where you are based as you did not even bother to put your location. A little bit of cultural interaction would not go amiss.
But I still insist there is a big difference in attitude as between the mainly Hindu Indians and the mainly Muslim Arabs and Pakistanis. In fact racism is somewhat institutionalised in the Hindi religion what with all the caste hierarchy present there. On the other hand there is tendency in Islam to see fellow muslims as brothers regardless of colour or creed.
These very different attitudes also influence their dealings with the so-called infidels inasmuch as it does not involve their faith

bruh, i dont care how nice, sweet, loving, caring and splendid a brown middle easterner is, i aint tryna know any of em. i only mix with 3 types of people. black women, white women and black men. if you dont fit into those 3 categorys, i aint tryna know you thats how i live my life and it has worked for me so far. oh and ermm i have lived extensively in europe and america so i am a citizen of the world

^Where are you based NOW or is that too much to ask?

america

@Tensor777
As a muslim and a Nigerian I would tell you that while Buzugee may be melodramatic in the way he is putting his views across. He is correct about the Arabs.
The problem with them is that they are not happy that the whites do not accept them as equals and they feel and behave as if they are far better than the Blacks.
If it is important for you to know I am in America too but I have known this about the Arabs before i left Naija.
Fellow muslims who are blacks and see the racist nature of the Arabs are usually surprised and disappointed .
To a greater extent the same could be said about people from the Indian SubContinent. They are also very racist and this their attitude to blacks especially in Nigeria, is made worse by the Nigerian mentality of looking at every lightskinned individual as being an "Oyinbo" that needs to be "worshipped"
For your information the term "Koora" is used to refer to Arabs.

Reminds me of a saying, ''the more things change the more they remain the same''. while whatever has gone on ain't right, it is the way of the world. Today the GCC's (Dubai especially) have found a way albeit exploitative and nefarious to build their dream nation via the strength of the weak asian, yesterday it was the immigrant Americans and Brits oiling the foundation of their respective nations through the sweat of black slaves, people just like your today asian slave worker. Nothing really has changed and the exploitation of the weak will continue in this life.

buzugee:

bruh, i dont care how nice, sweet, loving, caring and splendid a brown middle easterner is, i aint tryna know any of em. i only mix with 3 types of people. black women, white women and black men. if you dont fit into those 3 categorys, i aint tryna know you   thats how i live my life and it has worked for me so far. oh and ermm i have lived extensively in europe and america so i am a citizen of the world

My bro, as much as I don,t agree with what you are saying, you have still made me laugh so hard, black women, white women, and black men, that is one hell of a formula, and I like it, big ups man.

Reminds me of the saying, ''the more things change the more they remain the same. The slave ship medium revived in civil times! The way of the world is strange, the same people who cry and scream blue murder about african leadership invent policies that forever keep the channel of slave-master going, it is as if to say find a blueprint that works for you and develope your nation even if at the exploit of the many weak. Someone was said, the same ships that took away slaves brought in the bible. It is the way of the world people, Enough said.

PS>> The irony of it is that some of us here keying away may be in similar one-way ticket job

Reminds me of the saying, ''the more things change the more they remain the same. The slave ship medium revived in civil times! The way of the world is strange, the same people who cry and scream blue murder about african leadership invent policies that forever keep the channel of slave-master going, it is as if to say find a blueprint that works for you and develope your nation even if at the exploit of the many weak. Someone was said, the same ships that took away slaves brought in the bible. It is the way of the world people, Enough said.

PS>> The irony of it is that some of us here keying away may be in similar one-way ticket job

lol all these expats think they can just waltz into a foreign city and get away with anything. Why did Karen think she and Daniel could just go back to Canada after they got into debt? Would they have gotten away with such in Canada? Would they expect me to also owe the Bank of Canada and then run off to Nigeria with no consequences? That the nation isnt white does not mean it has no laws . . . sorry.

Thats what happens when a rise is so meteoric. It all comes crashing down.