MRRORs - Advancing the rights of Migrant Workers in the GCC

For migrant workers, sheltering in place is as pointless as social distancing

April 14, 2026

Latest in brief

April 19, 2026
Bahrain shortens summer midday work ban period
Bahrain’s cabinet has recently revised the summer midday work ban for employees working outdoors under the sun, reducing it from three months to two and a half months.
March 24, 2026
Kuwait freelancer's visa
Kuwait plans to introduce a ‘freelancers’ visa category, according to local media. The visa was supposed to launch by mid-April 2026. However, given the ongoing conflict and the extent to which Kuwait has been impacted, the timeline may change.
February 15, 2026
UAE Ratifies the ILO Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention
The UAE has recently ratified the ILO’s 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention. While this is a step in the right direction, unless the Kafala system is dismantled, eradication of forced labour would not be possible.
October 28, 2025
Saudi Arabia Implements Stricter Wage Protection Regulations
Saudi Arabia has introduced a series of measures to strengthen wage protection for workers, including streamlining the enforcement process for delayed wages, inspecting firms that fail to abide by wage protection regulations, and launching the fourth phase of the wage protection system for domestic workers.

Allegations of organ trade and illegal harvesting are rife as GCC and African states fail to conduct autopsies

April 16, 2025

Kenyan migrants are returning from Saudi Arabia, both dead and living, with suspicious scars that may indicate organ harvesting. Under the Kafala system, migrant workers’ agency is greatly limited, and the control and consent over their bodies are poorly protected. The combination of these factors puts them at risk of various exploitative and sinister practices, including the illegal organ trade.

Nepal suspends Saudi’s skills verification programme following protests by recruitment agencies

September 18, 2026

Oman to include migrant workers in the Sick and Extraordinary Leave Insurance Scheme from 19 July

July 20, 2026

Overview of Qatar’s new Labour Law Amendments

July 8, 2026

Bahrain's Data Deficit: Disappearing Numbers and Broken Links

July 8, 2026

Forced exits, unpaid wages, and uncertain future

June 9, 2026

Migrants have once again been denied labour justice in the GCC states, this time due to the war. From power plants in Qatar to hotels in Dubai, workers say they were abruptly thrown out of jobs, denied clarity about their future, and left to shoulder the economic fallout of the US-Israel war with Iran. Most were not formally terminated, but sent home on unpaid leave without end-of-service benefits.