VZCZCXRO2664
PP RUEHDIR
DE RUEHDE #0570/01 2731908
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 301908Z SEP 07
FM AMCONSUL DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5678
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0003
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0113
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 8815

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBAI 000570 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  9/30/2017 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KCRM ELAB UN RP AE
SUBJECT: PHILIPPINES TRAFFICKING CONCERNS IN DUBAI -- ABUSED VISITOR 
VISAS 
 
DUBAI 00000570  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Paul Sutphin, CG, Executive, Department of State. 
 
REASON: 1.4 (a), (d) 
 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARP, L/DL 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  In separate meetings with Philippine Labor 
Attache Virginia Calvez (September 11), Acting Consul General 
Maria Louella Duarte and Consular Officer Rafael Palencia, Jr. 
(September 18), Pol/EconOff discussed trafficking in persons 
concerns.  While they claim that trafficking with labor visas is 
limited, the UAE visitor visa process is reportedly wide-open to 
abuse by traffickers and labor exploiters.  Despite a relatively 
low estimated number of Filipinas sex-trafficked into Dubai, 
Consulate officials here are frustrated at the lack of 
prosecutions of traffickers in both the Philippines and the UAE. 
End Summary. 
 
Type of visa matters 
 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to Labor Attache Duarte, more stringent labor 
contract review and tighter visa procedures by Manila have 
effectively eliminated trafficking of Filipinos into the UAE on 
labor visas.  However, she cautioned, traffickers take advantage 
of a relatively "lax" UAE visitor visa process and bring women 
into the country on 60 day visit visas.  Consular Officer 
Palencia added his estimate that well over 500 Filipinos enter 
the UAE on visitors visas daily (via 9 daily flights between 
Manila and Dubai). 
 
¶3. (C) Ridiculing the current UAE visitor visa, Palencia showed 
Pol/EconOff photocopies of visas showing the applicant's 
occupation as "business person," cynically noting that "every 
visitor visa issued says occupation business person.  How many 
of these are really business people?"  He said the UAEG is 
notoriously lax in its visitor policy; applicants are not 
required to appear for personal interviews or additional 
background checks.  (Comment:  If true, this policy is an open 
door to Filipinos job seekers without previously-arranged 
contracts.  End comment.)  Renewals of visas after 60 days are 
relatively easy to get.  Applicants simply exit the country, 
Kish Island, Iran is a common destination, and wait for their 
new visa approval documents to be faxed to them.  When the 
"system" works, Filipinos (and others) can return to the UAE the 
same day with a brand new 60 day visitors visa (when it does not 
work, they end up stranded in Kish without the funds to return 
to the Philippines or a visa to enter another country).  When 
queried as to whether a tightening of visa requirements by the 
UAEG would serve as an effective deterrent to traffickers and 
labor exploiters, Palencia nodded, but countered that the UAEG 
has no incentive to revise a policy that generates substantial 
governmental revenue (he estimated the UAEG issues 12,000 to 
20,000 visit visas a day with fees starting at 750 AED [205 USD] 
each).  (Comment: Post has no data to confirm these numbers, but 
does not find visas fee income a compelling reason for the 
wealthy UAE to admit visitors who may overstay their welcome. 
End comment.) 
 
Low rate of trafficking repatriation 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Over the past two and a half years, Palencia's office has 
repatriated approximately fifty trafficked women with similar 
experiences -- poor rural girls approached by recruiters and 
offered a "good" job and free airline ticket to Dubai. 
Recruiters forward the women's pictures and passport details to 
Filipino contacts in Dubai who work with local travel agents to 
secure the standard sixty day visit visa. Once approved, either 
the travel agency or the Dubai contact fax a copy of the visa 
approval to the applicant. With a passport, visa approval and 
ticket in hand, the Philippine government does not restrict a 
woman's right to travel; nonetheless, Palencia expressed 
frustration that every time his government considers restricting 
travel rights of young women in order to prevent trafficking, 
there is a strident public outcry about citizen's rights to 
travel anywhere they chose. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Upon landing in Dubai, the girls are reportedly met by 
"mama-sans"/"mother hens" (i.e., brothel owners) and transported 
directly to their accommodations.  There, their passports are 
confiscated and they are finally told what their new "job" will 
be.  According to Palencia, the girls are informed that they owe 
the organization 15,000 AED (roughly 4,090 USD) and that a 
portion of their set "session fee" of 300 AED (approximately 82 
 
DUBAI 00000570  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
USD) will be applied towards paying down the "debt".  Once the 
debt is eliminated, the girls are told, their passports will be 
returned and they will be "released". 
 
¶6. (C) In an aside, Palencia suggested that approximately 80% of 
the girls who are trafficked to Dubai are, in fact, aware that 
they will be working as prostitutes.  However, they apparently 
aren't aware that their passports will be withheld and that they 
will, effectively, be held prisoner while working off an 
unanticipated debt.  When asked how many Filipinas are now 
working in the sex industry in Dubai, Palencia estimated eighty 
women. 
 
Need to jail trafficking perpetrators 
 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Expressing frustration over the lack of arrests and 
prosecutions of traffickers both in the Philippines and the UAE, 
Palencia complained that not only does the UAE Criminal 
Investigation Department (CID) fail to take substantive action 
against identified traffickers, but once back in the 
Philippines, the trafficking victims refuse to cooperate with 
authorities in identifying and prosecuting local recruiters. 
Palencia's primary complaint against the UAE CID is its apparent 
lack of interest in pursing investigations of Dubai-based 
brothel owners; he stated that Emirate officials seem to think 
the case ends once the girl is returned to her country and they 
do not "go after" the racketeers.  He speculated "if just one 
case" was brought to trial and sentenced, it would dissuade many 
perpetrators from continuing in the trade. 
 
New twist: re-trafficked to Kabul 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Acting Consul General Duarte added yet another twist to 
the trafficking saga, noting that recently the Philippine 
Ambassador to Islamabad (who also covers Afghanistan) has been 
involved in a case involving women and men "trans-trafficked" 
through Dubai onto Kabul.  Apparently, once trafficked to Dubai, 
the victims had been shipped onward to Afghanistan, where they 
have little hope of escaping an unanticipated and difficult 
plight.  She asked if the USG has additional information on this 
new phenomenon. 
 
Comment 
 
------- 
 
9 (C) While Dubai prides itself as a tourist destination and a 
relaxed bastion in a relatively conservative region, we should 
encourage the UAE to review any visitor visa regulations that 
might be exploited by traffickers.  We don't want to dissuade 
legitimate tourism, yet a more cautious visitor visa policy 
(especially as it applies to low-income, developing country 
nationals) might act as a deterrent to trafficking in persons 
and illegal labor recruitment.  We will raise this issue with 
contacts in the UAE Anti-TIP committee. End comment. 
SUTPHIN