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United Arab Emirates: Decrees ‘tackle’ migrant worker abuse

THE United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced measures yesterday which are supposed to prevent the abuse of migrant workers.

Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash said three new decrees, which will come into force on January 1 2016, would prevent notorious practices amounting to modern-day slavery.

Migrant workers are often lured to the UAE on the promise of work only to have their passports confiscated by bosses to prevent them leaving. Trade unions are forbidden from organising and strikes are illegal.

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