There are an estimated 520,000 experiencing modern slavery and human trafficking in the Arab States (GSI 2018). The Arab States are made up of 11 countries including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. In Syria, people are exploited in the country and Syrians are trafficked abroad. The ongoing conflict in Syria makes people extremely vulnerable to trafficking. Syrian children are reportedly vulnerable to forced early marriages, including to members of terrorist groups, which also often leads to commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour. Children displaced within the country also continue to be subjected to forced labour, particularly forced begging. Marie was recruited in Manila by an agency that promised her domestic work in Romania. After passing through airport security, she realized her flight was not bound for Romania, but Aleppo, Syria. On arrival, the receiving agency confiscated Marie’s mobile and assigned her to a family of 13. For 8 months, Marie lived in domestic servitude. She was verbally and physically abused. After suffering burns to her face inflicted by her employer, Marie was admitted to hospital. Despite death threats from her agency, Marie decided to run away. She managed to get to Lebanon and find protection at the Philippine Embassy in Beirut.

ISIS has singled out the Yazidi minority, notably its women and children, for particularly brutal treatment. In August 2014, ISIS fighters abducted hundreds, possibly thousands, of Yezidi men, women and children who were fleeing the IS takeover from the Sinjar region, in the north-west of the country. Hundreds of the men were killed and others were forced to convert to Islam under threat of death. Younger women and girls, some as young as 12, were separated from their parents and older relatives and sold, given as gifts or forced to marry ISIS fighters and supporters. Zinab and her children were kidnapped by ISIS from her village. She was taken to Syria and sold four times, subjected to sexual violence and forced religious conversion. Zinab used a smuggling network to escape Syria after 20 months.

ISIS has singled out the Yezidi minority, notably its women and children, for particularly brutal treatment. In August 2014, ISIS fighters abducted hundreds, possibly thousands, of Yezidi men, women and children who were fleeing the IS takeover from the Sinjar region, in the north-west of the country. Hundreds of the men were killed and others were forced to convert to Islam under threat of death. Younger women and girls, some as young as 12, were separated from their parents and older relatives and sold, given as gifts or forced to marry ISIS fighters and supporters. Hanan and her son Wissam were taken by ISIS soldiers and sold first to an Algerian man, and then to a Syrian man. At five years old Wissam was taught to speak Arabic, read the Koran and trained in combat. If Hanan tried to stop the indoctrination of her son, she was subjected to physical beatings and threats to take him away.  They were finally able to escape when Hanan told fighters she was going to call her cousin but instead called her husband who paid for his wife and son’s freedom.

ISIS has singled out the Yezidi minority, notably its women and children, for particularly brutal treatment. In August 2014, ISIS fighters abducted hundreds, possibly thousands, of Yezidi men, women and children who were fleeing the IS takeover from the Sinjar region, in the north-west of the country. Hundreds of the men were killed and others were forced to convert to Islam under threat of death. Younger women and girls, some as young as 12, were separated from their parents and older relatives and sold, given as gifts or forced to marry ISIS fighters and supporters. Vian was 15 years old when kidnapped by ISIS in August 2014 and held for 4 months in Raqqa, Syria. Vian tells of the atrocities she witnessed against girls as young as 7 by ISIS men. One afternoon Vian ran away and was able to make it to Turkey where her Uncle picked her up and brought her home to her family.  

There is an estimated 520,000 people in enslavement in the Arab States. Within the region, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen had both the highest prevalence of modern slavery and the highest absolute number of victims, accounting for 76 percent of the victims in the region. There is an estimated 174,000 people enslaved in Iraq (GSI 2018). In August 2014, IS invaded the province of Sinjar in Iraqi Kurdistan. Mostly Yezidis, a traditional religious community with ancient customs live there. Over 6,000 Yezidis were abducted. In early 2016 Sinjar was liberated by Kurdish Peshmergas. Many young women used by IS as slaves returned to their region.

There is an estimated 520,000 people in enslavement in the Arab States. Within the region, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen had both the highest prevalence of modern slavery and the highest absolute number of victims, accounting for 76 percent of the victims in the region. There is an estimated 174,000 people enslaved in Iraq (GSI 2018). In August 2014, IS invaded the province of Sinjar in Iraqi Kurdistan. Mostly Yezidis, a traditional religious community with ancient customs live there. Over 6,000 Yezidis were abducted. In early 2016 Sinjar was liberated by Kurdish Peshmergas. Many young women used by IS as slaves returned to their region.

There is an estimated 520,000 people enslaved in the Arab States. Within the region, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen had both the highest prevalence of modern slavery and the highest absolute number of victims, accounting for 76 percent of the victims in the region. There is an estimated 174,000 people enslaved in Iraq (GSI 2018). In August 2014, IS invaded the province of Sinjar in Iraqi Kurdistan. Mostly Yezidis, a traditional religious community with ancient customs live there. Over 6,000 Yezidis were abducted. In early 2016 Sinjar was liberated by Kurdish Peshmergas. Many young women used by IS as slaves returned to their region.

ISIS has singled out the Yezidi minority, notably its women and children, for particularly brutal treatment. In August 2014, ISIS fighters abducted hundreds, possibly thousands, of Yezidi men, women and children who were fleeing the IS takeover from the Sinjar region, in the north-west of the country. Hundreds of the men were killed and others were forced to convert to Islam under threat of death. Younger women and girls, some as young as 12, were separated from their parents and older relatives and sold, given as gifts or forced to marry ISIS fighters and supporters. Arwa was abducted in August 2014 in a village south of Mount Sinjar with scores of her relatives and hundreds of neighbours. She was held in ISIS captivity in various places in Syria and Iraq, where she was raped, before escaping. Sixty-two of her relatives, including her mother and siblings, are still in ISIS hands. She was 15 years old during her enslavement and when she told her story in late 2014.