American military bases in the Persian Gulf region use the services of subcontractors who could be classed as victims of human trafficking, the Washington Post reported. Federal law bans paying taxpayer money to contractors that allow such practices.
Foreign workers in Arab nations including Qatar and Kuwait are employed under the controversial “kafala system”, which requires a citizen, usually the employer, to take legal charge of the employee. Critics say the scheme is prone to abuse, making workers unable to leave jobs when they want to.
According to the Washington Post, US military contractors hiring menial and low-skilled staff for the Pentagon’s bases in the Arab world are involved in such abuses.
It cites the accounts of dozens of workers, reporting that their passports were away to limit their movements or that they paid a hefty entry fee to get a job at a US facility, which could take years to repay.
Source RT
