Qatar Can’t Have it Both Ways
March 1, 2016
Thousands of workers are unlikely to die on World Cup sites but Qatar’s response to criticism is also misplaced.
Labour Rights
Examining how people on the move interact with systems impacting their safety, freedoms, and opportunities. In the GCC, where migrant workers underpin much of the economy, this topic highlights lived experiences behind policies, power imbalances in recruitment and labor, protections and gaps affecting daily life, and efforts to secure dignity and fundamental rights for all.
Country-specific labour and domestic workers rights
Latest articles
Nepal free visa, free ticket policy doesn’t deter demand for workers
February 22, 2016
Recruitment agencies continue to push back
Isolation renders housemaids more vulnerable to abuse
February 22, 2016
Detention of Migrant Workers at Kuwait’s Central Prison
January 21, 2016
Where are our passports?
January 11, 2016
[Stories of Origin] Recruited under duress, untrained and unprepared for migration
December 14, 2015
Stories of Origin is a new MR series of articles and interviews that explores the lived experiences of both returning and potential migrants and their families. In the second and concluding part on Indonesia, we speak of the poor training and orientation that female domestic workers receive.
Qatar and FIFA default on promised reforms
December 5, 2015
New app for Indian migrants in Oman set to launch soon
October 26, 2015
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.
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.
February 14, 2025
Bangladesh intensifies efforts for more labour recruitment to Saudi
Bangladesh is pushing hard to send more migrant workers to Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom prepares for various mega projects, including the FIFA World Cup 2034. Saudi hosts the largest number of overseas Bangladeshis – three million – who constitute the single largest expatriate nationality in the country. Bangladesh continues to accept many of the Kingdom's conditions without critique, despite the financial burden it places on its citizens. Nevertheless, other labour sending countries are likely to deploy similar strategies to get a share of the opportunities that Saudi is likely to offer over the next decade.
August 21, 2024
UAE Amends Specific Labour Law Provisions Concerning Dispute Resolution
The UAE has recently amended its labour dispute procedures, increasing fines for some employment violations and allowing partial payments to avoid legal action. The amendments also transfer jurisdiction for certain violations involving domestic workers.
August 20, 2024
Oman Eases Penalties on Businesses for Labour Law Violations
Oman’s Ministry of Labour recently issued two resolutions enabling employers to pay reduced fines to avoid legal action, and authorising regulators to prohibit employers from issuing or renewing work permits for migrant workers.