By Matija Šerić

In Mauritania, in West Africa, 32 out of every thousand people live as slaves. This country was among the last in the world to abolish slavery. Mauritania serves as a border between the Arab and Arab-Berber populations of North and West Africa. Unfortunately, even though Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981 and criminalized it twice, in 2007 and 2015, modern slavery still exists. Slavery is punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison, but very few are actually convicted. Since the criminalization of slaveholding, only a handful of slave owners have been sentenced to long prison terms.

A Mobile Form of Slavery

In Mauritania, slavery exists in a so-called mobile form, in which people are considered legal property and can be owned, bought, and sold. Enslaved people are kept on a hereditary basis, meaning that their children are also considered the property of the slaveholder. As a result, slaveholders—who are predominantly Arab-Berbers or Arabs—usually force enslaved people to perform household chores, tend livestock, and work the land. Sadly, the enslaved in Mauritania are also often subjected to sexual and physical abuse by their masters, and in some cases, children born to them (when the father is the slaveholder) remain in slavery for life.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, 21 out of every thousand residents are enslaved. The Saudi monarchy is known as one of the largest human rights violators, which is not surprising given that it follows the Wahhabi school of Islamic law, which is very strict. In Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, a legal framework known as the kafala system governs the relationship between migrant workers and their employers.

The Shameful Kafala System

Under the kafala system, the government issues sponsorship permits to individuals or companies, which are then used to employ foreign workers. These permits give employers control over the legal status of their employees. Economic growth in the Gulf countries prompted the implementation of this system, and many argue that it benefits local companies and promotes development. Unfortunately, the kafala system is notorious for enabling worker abuse because sponsors have almost unlimited power granted by the state.

Workers must obtain their sponsor’s permission to change jobs or workplaces, terminate employment, or enter and exit the country, and they are often subjected to harsh daily rules dictated by sponsors. For example, if a worker leaves their job without permission, the sponsor has the legal right to terminate the worker’s legal status, which can result in imprisonment or deportation. Abuses include living in unhygienic conditions, starvation, excessive labor, and confinement.

Because of these characteristics, many analysts call the kafala system another form of modern slavery. In similar conditions in Qatar, 6,500 foreign workers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka died while building stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Solution – A Comprehensive Approach

The fight against modern slavery requires global cooperation. The UN is the ideal body for adopting international conventions. It is crucial to enforce stricter laws and ensure their consistent application to punish perpetrators and deter them from repeating criminal acts. However, this alone is not enough.

Education is key to raising awareness about this problem, both among potential victims and consumers who unknowingly support supply chains involving forced labor by purchasing products from well-known brands. Civil society organizations play a vital role in supporting victims and holding authorities and corporations accountable. It is important to improve working conditions, promote fair wages, strengthen workers’ rights, and encourage sustainable, ethical, and morally responsible business practices.

Ultimately, addressing modern slavery requires a comprehensive approach that includes legislative measures, education, victim support, and changes in political and economic structures at the national and international levels. Only through joint efforts can we build a world where all workers have the right to freedom, dignity, and fair pay that covers the cost of living, regardless of their origin or occupation. This is an ideal that we are still far from achieving.