Tanzania domestic workers 'abused' in Gulf states

Domestic workers are often forced to work up to 21 hours a day with no time off

Female domestic workers in Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are subjected to physical and sexual abuse, long working hours and unpaid salaries, campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

In a report released today, HRW said there were thousands of Tanzanian domestic workers in Oman and the UAE. Its researchers interviewed 50 of them and found that almost all had their passports confiscated on arrival and were forced to work up to 21 hours a day with no time off.

It added:

"Workers who fled abusive employers or agents told us that the police or their own embassy officials forced them to go back, or they had to relinquish their salaries and spend months raising money for tickets home."

"[Workers] said they were paid less than promised or not at all, were forced to eat spoiled or leftover food, shouted at and insulted daily, and physically and sexually abused. Some of these cases amount to forced labour or trafficking into forced labour."