Her Ukrainian friend had actually planned to offer her to a local for nearly
$8,000.
A few days ago, this case was brought to a court in Dubai, where the
36-year-old Ukrainian broker was charged with sexual exploitation, according to
media reports.
But this is likely only the tip of the iceberg of human trafficking to the
Persian Gulf.
Many people from poor Asian and East European countries go to the oil-rich
region to work as domestic servants, labor workers or secretaries but find
themselves actually forced into involuntary servitude and sexual practices,
according to human rights organizations.
It's rather recurrent to hear stories of men and women from these areas bought
by pimps and coerced into prostitution until they pay their "debts." The sad
reality of sex trafficking is the other side of the coin for a region portrayed
as a hub for trade and economic prosperity.
An extensive Feb. 23 report on the topic by Reuters' Lin Noueihed described one
victim's misery:
Aysha sold her wedding gold to pay traffickers $200 to find her and a cousin
jobs in Dubai. A world away from her village in Uzbekistan, she was forced to
work in a disco and expected to offer sex. Beaten by her Uzbek boss when she
shooed prospective clients away, she and her cousin fled and hid in airport
toilets for two days, surviving on tap water.
Some Gulf countries are becoming aware of this problem and have recently
drafted stiff laws to combat trade in humans. Last month, in the UAE, officials
promised to build shelters for victims of human trafficking.
