By Yoon Satt - Nov 29, 2023
The 6 people who were trafficked said that they are facing difficulties because they were sold to Iraq via Dubai after going to work in Dubai.
The 6 of them were transported and sold to Iraq via Dubai, and as they had to work in Iraq but did not receive wages, they contacted the Myanmar agent but the agent told them that they would only be sent back to Myanmar if they paid five thousand US dollars in compensation.
“6 of us came from Myanmar to work in Dubai with the contact of agent Daw Za Za Aung from Yangon. When we arrived in Dubai, the agent from Dubai named Ko Htoo Kyaw waited for us at the airport and sent us to an Arabic couple. It's been over three months now and he hasn't said a word to us if we're okay. They’ve cut contact and blocked us on everything. I sent a message to the Myanmar agents but they didn't even look at the message. We were sent to Iraq from Dubai. We have filed a complaint with the Myanmar Anti-Human Trafficking. But nothing is heard. They only feed us one meal per day. We only have to eat just not to die. Please share more after watching our live. Please help the 6 of us. Being with the agent is trouble,” she said.
"When we complain the agent Daw Zaza Aung, she just scold us. In addition, she asked us to return the 5,000 dollars as compensation. We can't compensate without getting a salary. We can only eat sometimes," she said.
It is also said that the 6 workers were hired as day laborers sometimes and that they received 100,000 Burmese kyats equivalent per day, but they only get 20,000, and the agent takes 80,000. They are only fed a meal per day instead of 3.
"We mortgaged our house to come here. The people from this house are helping us. We are being sold to Iraq while we came to work because of livelihood. We also get paid only a third of the 100,000 kyats per day. No matter what boss we work with, they take two-thirds and give us only one-third," she said.
When these workers first left Myanmar, they left to work because they were supposed to get three hundred dollars, but when they arrived at the employer's house, the agent asked for $900, and the employer refuse. The boss explained them by translating to Burmese that they could not negotiate with the Myanmar agent and sent them back to the agent. They only get 20,000 from 100,000 while living with the agent too.
It is also reported that the 6 of them contacted their family members in Myanmar to inform them of the difficulties they were facing, so they contacted the Human Trafficking Prevention and Suppression Police in Myanmar and filed a complaint.
Such processes are faced by the majority of Burmese workers in Dubai. At present, about 60 Burmese workers went to Dubai as they were told they are granted for job and there are many who have not yet got a job and are huddled in the small room of the Burmese agent.
According to their statements, the Myanmar female domestic helper who went to work as domestic workers in Dubai were took to there by saying that they would get a job, but the agent always asked for more than the salary they would receive from their employers. It is also said that as the employers and agents could not negotiate all of the domestic workers who went to Dubai became unemployed and huddled in the small room of the Burmese agent and got fed only a meal per day.
