Sponsored Link
Follow OMOPedia on Twitter!
Like OMOPEDIA on Facebook!
An
Iranian photographer has captured the desperate lives of South Asian
labourers who travel to Dubai in the hope of building a future for their
families - but find only squalor, low wages and backbreaking work in
stifling heat.
Farhad
Berahman's pictures were taken in Sonapur, the unofficial name for a
work camp on the outskirts of Dubai, located far away from the luxury,
soaring skyscrapers and vast wealth that the United Arab Emirates city
is renowned for.
'Sonapur'
- ironically, the name means 'City of Gold' in Hindi - is home to more
than 150,000 workers, mostly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.
Scroll down for video
An
Iranian photographer has captured the harsh lives endured by the
migrant workers building Dubai's ever-growing skyline. Pictured is a
huge dirty kitchen at the Sonapur camp where many of them live. The gas
pipelines were built by the labourers and not subject to safety laws
Unhygeinic: A man guts fish in filthy conditions in a Sonapur kitchen
Misery: Farhad
explains that several workers have their passports seized at the
airport, and are forced to work extremely long hours in blistering heat
for very little pay. Sonapur is now home for more than 150,000 workers,
mostly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China
Grim
living standards: Jahangir, 27, from Bangladesh, has worked as a
cleaner for the past four years. He earns 800 AED (£139) a month and
sends 500 AED (£87) to his family. He uses the rest of the money for
rent and food
Soaring: Thirty
years ago, almost all of Dubai was a desert but it has become one of
the main trade hubs and tourist destinations in the region
Thirty
years ago, almost all of Dubai was a desert but it has grown rapidly
become one of the main commercial hubs and tourist destinations in the
region.
The photographer
has visited Dubai many times and has watched it grow in size and wealth.
The 33-year-old says there is an unspoken understanding that there are
three different classes of people in Dubai - the Emiratis, the expats
and, at the bottom, the labourers who built the city.
Farhad
explains that several workers have their passports seized at the
airport and are forced to work extremely long hours in blistering heat
for very little pay. They are taken to Sonapur - which is not on the map
- so they can be better controlled by employers.
He
spoke to one labourer called Jahangir from Bangladesh. The 27-year-old
has worked as a cleaner for the past four years and earns 800 AED (£139)
a month and sends 500 AED (£87) to his family. He is forced to survive
on what little remains.
Left, traders display their wares at Sonapur. Right, workers are forced to clean themselves using spartan sanitation
Labourers seek to make extra cash at the weekends by setting up food stalls and trading with fellow migrants
Improvised fun: Labourers enjoying a game called Carrom, similar to billiards, which they built themselves
Gruelling:
The labourers usually work 14 hours where in summer the temperature
goes over 50C. Western tourists are told not to stay outside more than
five minutes
Every evening, the hundreds of thousands of young men who build the city are driven to vast concrete wastelands to work
These
labourers are working on luxurious boats in a shipyard in Jaddaf. These
boats are used mostly for tourism and can fetch $3,755,000
Farhad explains: 'People come to this land to make their future and benefit from the huge investments in construction and oil.
'There are many luxurious hotels and world-renowned structures which labourers have built over recent years.
'The employer usually takes their passport as soon as they arrive at Dubai airport and they are all sent to Sonapur.
'The labourers usually work 14 hours where in summer the temperature goes over 50C.
'Conversely, it is usually advised for western tourists not to stay outside for more than five minutes in summer.
'According
to the government's laws, work places should close down during this
kind of temperature in order not to harm labourers and their health, but
the government often does not even announce the right weather
temperature.'
Harrowing: Their accommodation is cramped, filthy, sweltering and often overrun with vermin. Yet many can't leave
The secret vegetable market within Sonapur is a cheap place for labourers to provide themselves with vegetable and fruits
When
Farhad arrived he saw dozens of men sitting around the courtyard on
broken furniture, cooking in dirty kitchens and stray animals skulking
around.
He added: 'The
rooms are 12ft by 12ft with six beds and accommodate six to eight
people. Food is usually cooked using gas cylinders in terrible
condition.
'One of the Chinese workers stopped me, took me to his room and showed me a sign he had written on some wood.
It
read: 'Dear Boss I am working in your company already 1 year, my
contract was expired but I cannot get my salary all 4 month less. I must
go China soon, please pay for my money.'
Pleading: A Chinese worker has written a message for his employer begging them to pay him and let him go home
Makeshift: Using a broken mirror and stationed next to a bin, a barber sets up shop
Muslim labourers during their evening prayer. Farhad believes that the stories of labourers are extremely important
Shahroukh,
who enjoys a better standard of living than other workers, gets ready
before heading out to work at a decoration company
The
expats who enjoy high incomes will likely never experience the dark
side of Dubai, where the labourers' suffering is hidden from the media.
Farhad says he was so moved after seeing it for himself that he decided to create the photo series.
He
said: 'I did not try to get permission since these areas are restricted
to the public and I was sure I would be unsuccessful since the UAE does
not wish to show this aspect of their country.
'So,
I took pictures at night when it was much easier to hide from security.
As soon as I started meeting labourers and getting to know them, I
realised they were scared of me.
'After a while one of the labourers who could speak English told Farhad they were afraid he was from the government.
Devotion:
Labourers heading back to their rooms after evening prayer. The mosque
inside Sonapur is one of the few well-maintained buildings
Ali Sadam, 24, has been working as cleaner for the past two years and lives with five roommates in Sonapur
He added: 'Most of the time I slept in my car and waited until it got dark so I could do my work.'
In spite of his efforts, the photographer was arrested by security and questioned.
'I
pretended to be a lost tourist and the security wanted to report me to
the police since the labourers' area is forbidden to photograph.' They
let him go.
The Iranian
photographer hopes that this series will make people think twice about
what goes on around them, and if they are moved by the suffering they
might be encouraged to do something to help.
'I think treating humans so cruelly is against their human rights and yet it still exists around us,' he said.
'I can't tell anyone what to think of the images, but I believe they speak for themselves.'
Source: Dailymail
Like OMOPEDIA on Facebook!
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook