When the dream falls apart for Nigerians in Dubai
Whether you go to the UAE to work as a prostitute voluntarily or are trafficked or tricked, the dream will usually fall apart almost immediately as you realise you have been trapped in slavery. Life can get very difficult, very quickly. Without a passport, visa, smartphone or cash you can do very little in the UAE. You will be reliant on the goodwill of friends or clients who do.
If you run away you face an incredible task to get your passport back or an Emergency Travel Order which would allow you to travel home. The Nigerian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate in Dubai are not easy to contact. If you manage to get through on the phone you will be lucky but you will not be offered much direct help other than general advice. If you turn up at the front door you will be told to report your passport stolen report to the Police but then you run the risk of being arrested if you don’t have a visa either.
The sad reality for Nigerians trafficked or travelling to Dubai for sex
To add to your troubles, if you travelled to the UAE on a visa issued in Abu Dhabi and you are trapped in Dubai you can only deal with your visa issues in Abu Dhabi. This is a good 6 hour round trip by bus or about 400 AED in a taxi. And if you get there and the visa office closes early or doesn’t open, you have to start all over again because you cant rent a room without a passport, visa and cash.