Saudi slavery update from Gulf News, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
Riyadh: The Saudi government has denied a recent report released by the US Department of State ranking the kingdom as one of the largest human traffickers in the world.
The report said Saudi Arabia is a hub for workers coming from south Asia, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia and said, many of these workers are subject to bad working conditions including their employers holding their passports as well as physical and sexual abuse.
The report also said some workers are never paid their proper salaries.
The US Government report said household servants and drivers are among the most abused group of workers in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia also serves as a safe haven for children smuggled from Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Mali and Afghanistan who are forced to beg or work as street vendors, the report said.
It also alleged that the Saudi government does not protect victims properly and also accused the Saudi government of not being serious in enforcing law against human traffickers.