5 days ago
Trafficked and trapped: Foreign workers exploited in Iraq
Shafaq News – Al-Anbar
Foreign workers are being trafficked through Iraq's al-Anbar province amid weak legal safeguards and rising cross-border trade, human rights activists warned on Saturday.
Al-Anbar's geographic location and its three major border crossings have made it a key entry point for trafficked workers. Smugglers reportedly use these routes to bring in laborers who are then funneled into informal, unregulated markets.
Omar al-Alwani, head of the Rights Foundation for Human Rights, told Shafaq News that the Interior Ministry has established specialized anti-trafficking units at police stations across the province in an attempt to curb the growing crisis.
Labor trafficking is the most prevalent form, with workers—primarily from Asian and African countries—subjected to exploitative conditions akin to legalized slavery, according to al-Alwani. 'Employers pay deposits, seize passports, and control every aspect of these workers' lives."
In some cases, foreign laborers are reportedly traded for as much as $3,000. Once no longer needed, they are returned to recruitment agencies, where the cycle of abuse often begins anew, with their documents still withheld.
Despite the scale of the problem, Iraq has yet to ratify the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. This legal gap, al-Alwani noted, leaves victims without adequate recourse or protection under Iraqi law.
Civil activist Taha al-Janabi described the situation as 'modern slavery,' warning that Iraq risks becoming a stain on the global map of human trafficking. 'This is a blatant violation of human rights,' he told Shafaq News.
