The Global Slavery Index 2023

Regional: Arab States (Part 2)

​What drives vulnerability to modern slavery in the region? 
The Arab States is the second most vulnerable region in the world to modern slavery. Conflict as a driver of vulnerability is more significant in the Arab States than any other region. Other drivers of vulnerability were discrimination towards minority groups, political instability, and lack of political rights. At the country level, Yemen, Syria, and
Iraq were the most vulnerable countries; these countries also fall within the top 10 most vulnerable countries globally. Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE had the lowest levels of vulnerability within the region; yet compared with the least vulnerable countries around the world, vulnerability is still relatively high in these countries. 
 
Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation is the greatest driver of vulnerability in the region. In Yemen minority groups such as the Al-Muhamasheen have long experienced marginalisation, while in Jordan, Lebanon, and GCC countries, migrant workers are highly vulnerable to exploitation under the kafala system, which grants employers substantial control over their lives. Risks have compounded in the wake of COVID-19, with reports of increased wage theft,detention, confinement to the workplace, and unemployment. In GCC countries where migrants comprise 82 per cent of the workforce on average, the pandemic has led to an escalation of workforce nationalisation policies; that is, efforts to increase the proportion of nationals employed.31 Such policies have spurred increased xenophobia and stereotyping of migrants as responsible for the spread of coronavirus. Individuals belonging to the LGBTQI+ community also face widespread discrimination throughout the region, as homosexuality and gender non-conformity are criminalised in several countries in the region.
 
Governance issues linked to political instability, restricted political rights, and government inaction to combat modern slavery drive vulnerability across the Arab States. In Iraq and Yemen, corruption and conflict contribute to severe political instability and disrupt government functions, exacerbating vulnerability. Throughout the region, gender inequality both drives, and is reinforced by, governance issues compounding vulnerability for women and girls. Despite some progress, all Arab States countries except the UAE were ranked in the bottom fifth of more than 150 countries assessed
in the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Index, reflecting poorer gender equality in the region across economic, education, health, and political dimensions. No countries in the region afford women equal rights in matters of divorce, inheritance, citizenship, and employment, while
in most countries women lack equal access to justice and freedom of movement.These domains are typically governed by personal status laws and male guardianship systems, which severely restrict women’s agency and increase their risk of exploitation. Further, during the pandemic, women and girls across the region experienced a heavier domestic work burden and heightened risk of gender-based violence.
 
Estimated prevalence and number of people in modern slavery, by country 
Conflict drives vulnerability in the Arab States, yet the effects are not uniform throughout the region. While Oman and the UAE experience comparatively low levels of conflict, heightened risk of modern slavery in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen is spurred by conflict. The erosion of state protection has led to increased risk of conflict-related sexual violence and slavery in these countries. Meanwhile, conflict-related displacement has entrenched risks region-wide. At least 12.3 million people were internally displaced in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen in 2021, and a further 2.1 million refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and others of concern were recorded throughout the Arab States. With resources in host countries increasingly strained, most of these people face insecure conditions and complex humanitarian needs, fuelling their vulnerability to modern slavery. For example, Syrian refugee girls in Jordan and Lebanon may be forced to marry as a means to access supplies and private shelters, and to protect against sexual violence and community perceptions of impurity. At the same time, research indicates that the influence of the host community may see families resist traditional expectations and delay child marriage. Underreporting of sexual violence due to patriarchal norms, particularly when victims are men and boys, as well as a lack of services for males, limits our understanding of their experiences of child and forced marriage in displacement settings.
 
The effects of climate change are felt across the region, from severe drought in Syria to desertification in Jordan, with extreme water stress affecting most Arab States countries. In Yemen, natural disasters displaced more than 220,000 people in 2020 alone, while the war in Ukraine has caused disruptions to critical food imports in the Arab States region, worsening the humanitarian crisis there. The impacts of climate change exacerbate the push factors that make people vulnerable to modern slavery, including poverty, loss of livelihoods, displacement, and distress migration, with women and girls disproportionately impacted. Where livelihoods are threatened, families may turn to negative coping mechanisms such as forced and child marriage, or resort to irregular migration in search of alternative income, where risks of trafficking are heightened. Climate-related resource scarcity can also trigger conflict, or spur recruitment into armed groups due to loss of livelihoods, further compounding vulnerability to modern slavery. 
 
Walk Free 2023. Global Slavery Index 2023. Minderoo Foundation Ltd. Australia.