Natalie Scarlett, founder of the double award-winning Black Heritage Support Service (@bhss_org), has ignited passionate online debate after publicly condemning travel to Dubai.
She cites what she calls the “ongoing subjugation and enslavement of African people” in the region.
In a strongly worded post shared on BHSS’s social platforms, Scarlett made clear her personal stance:
“I have never been to Dubai and I ain’t trying go, mainly because many people who go are spiritually corrupt & sellouts. I don’t agree with the subjugation of Africans. Passports taken, labour and sex slaves isn’t something I’m okay with, just for some luxury.”
The post accompanied a video message in which Scarlett elaborates on her reasons, referencing historical and ongoing patterns of exploitation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly of African and South Asian migrant workers.
Citing figures from the Human Rights Research Center, she states there are “up to 132,000 enslaved people in the UAE today,” though she believes the actual number is “much higher.”
Scarlett: “None of us are free until all of us are free”
In her five-minute video, Scarlett outlines a historical connection between oil wealth in the region and the exploitation of trafficked laborers, arguing that modern Dubai was “built by enslaved Africans and some South Asians.” She goes on to explain that many migrants are lured with false promises of fair wages but have their passports taken upon arrival and are forced into inhumane working conditions.
“The average worker makes between $106 and $250 a month,” she says. “If they strike or ask for better conditions, they may be imprisoned or go unpaid for a year.”
Scarlett also raises concerns about the Arab slave trade, asserting that it “far exceeded the transatlantic slave trade by centuries” and “still happens today.” She called on Black communities in the West to be more conscious of the treatment of African people abroad:
“There is something about Black people in the West… I feel like we turn a blind eye to what’s happening to the rest of the diaspora. That needs to change.”
Divided Responses Online
The post has sparked divided reactions on social media. While many followers have applauded Scarlett for her unapologetic stance and advocacy, others argue that the issue is more complex and that travel boycotts may not directly impact systemic labor abuses.
Scarlett, however, remains firm in her convictions.
“People can do what they want,” she says. “But I personally don’t feel good going to a country where people who look like me are being enslaved.”
Black Heritage Support Service, founded by Natalie Scarlett, is a UK-based advocacy organization that has received multiple awards for its work in supporting individuals from African and Caribbean backgrounds, including those navigating the British care system and mental health services.
