VZCZCXRO6036
RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHDE #2762/01 1361102
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161102Z MAY 06
FM AMCONSUL DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0487
INFO RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0022
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0013
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 1483
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 3444
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBAI 002762 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA AND NEA/ARPI 
 
THIS CABLE REPLACES DUBAI 2600 (COMMENT ADDED PARA 10/11) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PHUM SOCI KCRM ET AE SY
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIAN DOMESTIC WORKERS IN THE UAE 
 
 
1.(U) Summary:  The Deputy Consul General of Ethiopia in Dubai 
told Poleconoff April 17 that there are some 30,000 Ethiopians 
in the UAE, 75 percent of whom work as domestic servants. Many 
Ethiopians flee from their employers and work illegally in other 
households or work as prostitutes. He characterized the 
recruitment of Ethiopian domestic servants as trafficking. He 
has also heard rumors of Ethiopian women being trafficked to 
Syria. End Summary. 
 
Most Ethiopians Work as Domestic Servants 
----------------------------------------- 
¶2. (U) Tesfay Desalegne, Ethiopia's Deputy Consul General in 
Dubai, told Poleconoff April 17 that the Ethiopian population in 
the UAE is estimated to be near 30,000, with the majority living 
in Dubai. 75 percent, or roughly 22,500 of the Ethiopians in the 
UAE, work as domestic servants. Most of the Ethiopians are women 
recruited to work in Emirati households, rather than for expats. 
Young Ethiopian women vie to work in Dubai because they believe 
they will be able to earn large salaries, but many are 
disappointed when they experience the realities of their jobs. 
Some seek assistance from the Ethiopian Consulate, while others 
run away from their sponsor to seek new jobs. "Thousands" of 
runaway domestics had sought assistance from the Consulate since 
it opened in 2004. The most common complaints were harsh working 
conditions, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse. 
 
Ethiopian Domestics Not Protected By the Law 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Desalegne spoke of cases in which Emirati sponsors had 
avoided paying a domestic worker by canceling the visa without 
notice or reporting them as an absconder.  Once her visa has 
been canceled, the employee must return to Ethiopia immediately 
without any legal recourse.  The Consulate can do little for 
such individuals. Desalegne calls the system unfair, saying 
Emirati sponsors are "never" held accountable in such cases. 
 
Choices for Absconding Domestics 
-------------------------------- 
¶4. (SBU) Desalegne said that most of the women who fled from 
their sponsors remained in Dubai to seek new employment in the 
"black market." Many seek work as domestics for Europeans in the 
Jumeirah area. Although they are vulnerable because they are 
"absconders," many find the pay and working conditions with 
American or European families are far better than with the 
sponsoring Emirati families. In these situations, the benefits 
of working illegally far outweigh the risks of being arrested 
and deported. 
 
Prostitution - An Alternative 
----------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Some runaway Ethiopian domestic workers turn to 
prostitution. Desalegne believes that there may be up to 1000 
Ethiopians working as prostitutes in Dubai. He believes that 
most of the women who turn to prostitution are runaway domestics 
who are "lured" into it by other Ethiopian women who also were 
former domestic workers. Aside from the large amounts of money 
they can earn, Desalegne said that some of the women think that 
working as a prostitute is "thrilling" and offers "excitement." 
Large numbers of Ethiopian prostitutes can be found at some of 
dance clubs at hotels in Dubai. The women Desalegne has spoken 
with view prostitution as a temporary job, which they will leave 
behind when they return to Ethiopia. Desalegne did not believe 
that Ethiopian women were trafficked to the UAE for the sex 
industry, nor did he know of any cases where Ethiopian women 
were working in the sex industry against their will. 
 
Trafficking Ethiopians to the UAE 
--------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) On the other hand, Desalegne characterized much of the 
recruitment of Ethiopian domestic workers as trafficking. 
Although Ethiopians come to the UAE voluntarily, the Vice Consul 
General said, many were deceived by unscrupulous employment 
agents in Ethiopia, while others were convinced to come to the 
UAE on visit visas only to find that the promised job was 
non-existent. 
 
 ¶7. (SBU) Many Ethiopians travel via circuitous routes to Dubai, 
generally via Nairobi, Kenya or Yemen, because Ethiopians 
traveling to Dubai on Ethiopian Airways are normally required to 
show proof of employment or other evidence proving legitimate 
travel. Ethiopians traveling to Dubai on visit visas -- many of 
 
DUBAI 00002762  002 OF 002 
 
 
whom are actually going to look for work or to start a promised 
job -- are not permitted on Ethiopian's direct flight, so they 
travel by other routes that are less well policed. 
 
Trafficking From the UAE 
------------------------ 
¶8. (SBU) Desalegne said it is rumored in the community that some 
Ethiopian women are trafficked to Syria from the UAE.  His 
understanding is that workers who have absconded or are unhappy 
in their current jobs are identified and then approached by 
other Ethiopians who promise them better jobs elsewhere. Those 
who accept are taken to Al Ain and then taken to Syria. Deslegne 
added that he has no concrete evidence of trafficking to Syria, 
but said it is widely rumored among Ethiopians. 
 
Limited Resources 
----------------- 
¶9. (U) According to Desalegne, the Ethiopian Consulate has 
limited resources and is unable to provide much assistance to 
abused or runaway domestic workers. The Consulate does not run a 
shelter, nor does it purchase repatriation tickets. The 
Consulate turns to the Ethiopian Community Association (ECA) for 
assistance. Generally, the ECA members will provide temporary 
housing and raise money for repatriation.  In return, the 
Consulate supports ECA fundraising events. 
 
Embassy Comment: 
---------------- 
¶10. (SBU) The options available to abused domestics in the UAE 
is uneven.  While the Philippines Labor Attaches in both Abu 
Dhabi and Dubai, as well as the Labor Officer at the Embassy of 
Pakistan report that the situation is improving and that they 
are generally satisfied with the authorities responding to 
complaints of abuse and non-payment, prosecuting the offenders, 
and allowing the domestics to change sponsors instead of being 
summarily deported, serious gaps still remain.  As Desalegne 
states, an unscrupulous employer can report a domestic as an 
"absconder" leaving them without recourse.  In addition to gaps 
in protection for the abused, the amount of abuse is largely 
underreported.  On May 15, the English daily Khaleej Times 
quoted Awatif Abdullah of the Dubai Police Human Rights 
Department as saying that while statistics indicate a recent 
decline in reports of abuse against domestics, housemaids rarely 
file complaints with police authorities, instead turning for 
help to their consulates or employment agents. In the case of 
domestics from countries such as Ethiopia, where their embassy 
does not provide services to their locally employed population 
like the Philippines does, the abused worker is left with no 
recourse at all. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Although Desalegne mentioned "trafficking" several 
times, his comments more accurately describe deceptive 
employment practices and voluntary alien smuggling.  He stated 
that he has not received any reports of coercion, nor that 
exorbitant "transaction" fees are charged for work visas 
essentially trapping the domestics in the UAE as indentured 
servants.  His description of Ethiopian women taking a 
circuitous route to enter the UAE corroborates statements from 
officials at the Ministry of Interior and Dubai Immigration, 
that routes from known trafficking source countries are 
specifically monitored and screened in an effort to eliminate 
human trafficking. End Comment. 
DAVIS