Beyond Kafala: Sexual Exploitation, Sponsorship, and Trafficking in the UAE

Migrant Women and the Economics of Control

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a nation built largely on migrant labour, with approximately 90 percent of its population composed of foreign workers recruited from across the globe. A significant portion of these migrant workers are brought to the UAE under false pretences and exploited, both physically and sexually, a practice that constitutes human trafficking. Once in the country, many become bound to their employers through the kafala system, which severely restricts their mobility and limits their opportunities to lead a dignified life. Despite the government’s claims of progress in preventing exploitation, protecting migrant workers, and prosecuting offenders, many continue to face exploitation and abuse, highlighting the gap between official rhetoric and the reality on the ground.

Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights that encompasses the recruitment, transfer, and exploitation of individuals through coercion, fraud, deception, or the use of force. One of the most insidious methods traffickers use is the exploitation of fraudulent contracts—false promises of lucrative employment or safe migration pathways—designed to lure vulnerable individuals into situations of abuse and servitude they never agreed to.

Trafficking manifests in various forms, with sexual coercion and forced labour being the most common. According to UN reporting, women and girls continue to comprise the majority of trafficking victims worldwide, reflecting the persistent gendered nature of this abuse and the heightened vulnerability of females to exploitation.

Under the kafala system, migrants are subjected to a range of mistreatments. Common violations include passport confiscation, non‑payment of wages, restricted movement, last‑minute contract changes, false job promises, and inadequate food and shelter. These practices perpetuate a cycle of dependency and fear, trapping workers in exploitative conditions with little ability to seek redress.

The UAE administration has long sought to present itself as a modern and progressive state committed to reform and human rights. Official government communications cite anti‑trafficking initiatives and legal frameworks intended to prevent exploitation, protect victims, and prosecute offenders. Yet many of the highlighted measures date back more than a decade and have proven insufficient, particularly amid the documented rise in trafficking risks during the COVID‑19 period. This disconnect between public image and enforcement points to a system more focused on reputation management than on dismantling structures that enable exploitation.

Case Illustration: Organised Sexual Exploitation in Dubai

This contradiction is evident in the case of Christy Gold (born Christiana Jacob Uadiale), identified in criminal proceedings as a central figure in an operation that recruited African women to Dubai through false employment promises and coerced them into sex work. Women were induced with offers that covered travel, visas, and accommodation, only to face sexual exploitation, abusive living conditions, and threats when financial quotas were not met. Despite operating businesses and holding property in the UAE for extended periods, enforcement action was limited. Her eventual arrest and brief incarceration occurred outside the UAE, followed by release upon payment of a fine—an outcome that underscores the persistence of impunity and the ease with which trafficking networks can reconstitute.

Investigative Finding: Sexual Exploitation as a Dependency System

Editorial note: The following finding is drawn from authenticated investigative material reviewed by the editorial team. Identifying details are withheld. The purpose is to illustrate mechanisms of exploitation relevant to this article.

Investigative material confirms the existence of organised, compensated sexual arrangements involving migrant women in the UAE, structured around travel sponsorship, luxury accommodation, and direct monetary transfers. These arrangements were recurring and cross‑border, and compensation was explicitly tied to availability, compliance, and silence. The model functioned as a dependency system: women’s housing, mobility, and income were controlled by patrons or intermediaries, creating leverage that curtailed autonomy and exit options. Such systems meet internationally recognised indicators of sexual exploitation within trafficking frameworks, even in the absence of physical confinement.

Case Illustration: Sponsorship‑Based Sexual Exploitation in the UAE

Investigative material establishes that Pamela operated within the UAE through a sponsorship‑based sexual exploitation model rather than a traditional trafficking structure. The model centred on compensated sexual arrangements tied to travel sponsorship, accommodation, and lifestyle provision. Compensation and continued support were conditioned on availability, discretion, and compliance with unwritten expectations. These arrangements were recurring and cross‑border, creating economic dependency and restricting exit options for women involved. Within international anti‑trafficking standards, such systems constitute sexual exploitation through abuse of vulnerability and power imbalance, even where movement is not physically restricted.

Conclusion

These patterns illustrate why trafficking in the UAE cannot be assessed solely through the existence of laws or publicised initiatives. Until authorities take meaningful action to dismantle the kafala system, enforce labour protections, and pursue perpetrators—particularly those enabling sexual exploitation through sponsorship and dependency—migrant women will remain exposed to abuse with limited avenues for justice.