United Arab Emirates Expat Forum

Noob
Joined 2016
Posts: 2

8 years ago

Advice for Employee Being Scammed

8 years ago

Hi Folks.
I am a US Citizen. My brother in law from the Philippines was recruited to Dubai by a relative who promised to handle the work visa and get him a job, Instead the relative has put him in the hands of her "boyfriend" who is acting as a temporary labor supply agency.

So her "boyfriend" sends him to work in a factory for a couple of weeks, then a construction site or whatever - temporary labor, but working all the time. He's had to leave the country to Oman in order to re-enter each month. We just read the UAE employment law and learned he was supposed to have a contract before he left the Phillipines, a health card, that it was their obligation to apply for the worker visa, etc.

But instead he just arrived as a visitor, renews that visitor visa monthly, and when he complained about working so hard 7 days a week they pointed out that he is essentially their prisoner, without a work visa yet, and that will only come if he keeps working 7 days a week.

We're realizing now a relative (!) is doing petty human trafficking here and instead of just flying him home we'd like to turn this around and do it right: we wanted to get him employed in Dubai legally and still do.

We don't know this local guy but it seems to us that having broken the law bringing my brother in law into the country to work without a visa, and knowingly hiring him out ought to provide some leverage negotiating this to a reasonable outcome. Namely, to not throw him out on the street but give him housing until he gets a legal job. Not forcing him to work for them illegally any more.

We'd like to be able to say that if you don't cooperate with us that you'll be getting a visit from the UAE labor inspector's office to show them the contract you have with this laborer, how you applied for his work visa and etc. But we don't know if that is a credible position.

We are open to suggestions, lol.

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
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William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
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