I don't mean to condone the modern slavery in Dubai in any way, but isn't it telling about the conditions in Bangladesh and the Philippines that people volontary leave them to go to the UAE and be treated like dirt.
From the article it seems the foreign workers are given false information before coming to Dubai, and then their passports are taken (and/or payment withheld) so they can't leave.
That's exactly what happens. The "travel agencies" that give this false information are like scouts, they constantly hunt for poor people who will fall for this. It is common sight at the New Delhi international airport to see workers going abroad in batches. Most of these people have never been out of their villages before. They sit on the floor in groups and are moved through the security procedure by a "manager" like a herd of sheep. They all seem happy and filled with hope.
It's a global scam where the idea is to make money out of slavery and ensuring profit to every person in the chain, from the sheikh to the so called "travel agencies" and take away the right to complain from the only people who may complain.
Oh, stupid me, didn't take into that into the calculation.
The things is that I wrote a school paper years ago on the UAE and back then it wasn't exactly a hidden fact that many workers on the massive construction projects were treated badly.
But then I forgot that not everyone has access to the internet and/or reads human rights reports.
"treated badly" does not even approximate the meaning of "indentured servitude". Having slaves is unforgivable. Oddly enough, isn't the UEA in the Human Rights Commission that wanted to ban free speech if it offends a religion?
A larger part of the problem is that the prevailing custom in that part of the middle east is that contracts are not binding on the natives. They're binding on the foreigners, but there is nothing you can hold the native to. Furthermore, the Arabic language version of the contract is the prevailing one, and the foreign language version is meaningless, should it end up in court.
This seems like a problem in China also - the lack of the rule of law. In the ME it seems this is government sanctioned, whereas in China this is due to rampant corruption.
Either way, the rule of law is absolutely essential to continued economic growth - both countries will run into a brick wall if they don't get their act together. China seems to be reducing corruption and trying to restore investor confidence... the UAE doesn't seem to be doing much of anything.
