The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called on the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to urgently reform its notorious Kafala sponsorship system, which it said enables modern-day slavery.
ITUC-Africa’s reaction follows the BBC investigative documentary: Death in Dubai, which laid bare harrowing accounts of African women deceived with false promises of employment, only to end up trafficked into prostitution rings, subjected to violence, or forced into degrading acts.
“Death in Dubai” was the BBC investigative documentary released on september 9 on the woes of African migrants in the UAE.
It’s a one hour, four minutes and forty four seconds long talks about how a young Ugandan lady was murdered in controversial circumstances.
The report has raised reactions including the international trade unions confederation , ITUC-Africa, the continental body of all African workers.
A statement signed by its General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie, the international trade union confederation, ITUC-Africa said it is “deeply alarmed” by continuing reports of trafficking, violence, and exploitation of African migrant workers in the UAE, warning that the Gulf state is fast losing credibility as a modern global hub by condoning “modern-day slavery.”
The workers’ body also demanded the prosecution of all perpetrators of migrant worker abuse.
The BBC documentary Death in Dubai spotlighted the tragic case of a young Ugandan woman whose suspicious death in Dubai was hastily classified as suicide.
According to the report, UAE authorities failed to investigate despite glaring evidence of foul play—a pattern which ITUC-Africa described as either negligence or complicity by state agencies.
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ITUC-Africa said by failing to enforce protections, the UAE is undermining its own credibility, eroding international trust and tarnishing its image as a supposed modem hub of commerce and innovation, noting that no nation can aspire to global leadership while condoning—or ignoring the systematic abuse of migrant workers.
It said further that these revelations are not only a stain on human rights but also a grave violation of international law.
ITUC-Africa confirmed that the UAE is a signatory to several international instruments, including ILO Conventions on Migration for Employment (No. 97), Migrant Workers (No. 143), and Forced Labour (Nos. 29 and 105), as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990).
The labour body therefore outlined four key demands for the UAE government, which include Immediate investigation and prosecution of all perpetrators of trafficking and abuse, including those shielded by official protection.
ITUC-Africa also demands access to justice, remedy, and protection for migrant workers, particularly African women, as well as an urgent reform of the ‘Kafala system’ and recruitment practices, and work transparently with trade unions, civil society, and international organisations to eliminate abuses.
The Kafala system is a sponsorship framework used primarily in Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to regulate migrant workers’ employment. Essentially, it binds foreign workers to a local sponsor (kafeel), usually their employer, who assumes responsibility for their legal status and employment
ITUC-Africa also urged the Ugandan government and other African states to strengthen protections for their citizens seeking employment abroad.
It said the primary burden of care and protection lie with African governments as it calls for both in-country and foreign-based safety mechanisms.
The organisation pledged to continue monitoring developments and to use international legal and advocacy tools “to force change when the push comes to shove.”
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
