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
July 21, 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 part of this series, we explore the nature of repatriation, and the lives of the survivors.
July 8, 2015
July 6, 2015
STORIES OF ORIGIN is a new MR series that explores the lived experiences of both returning and potential migrants, and their families. First stop is Nepal, which sees on average 1500 citizens emigrating to the GCC daily.
June 29, 2015
A Review of Kuwait’s Latest Draft Law for Domestic Workers
June 28, 2015
The 452 workers who lost every last scrap of their belongings in a fire in Qatar on Friday morning still have their passports in tact. Because the passports have been in the possession of their employer since they started work, MRRORS.org learned while speaking to the victims.
June 24, 2015
Some proposals akin to forced labor
June 9, 2015
The Ministry of Labor opened the country’s first shelter in response to the growing number of runaway workers. Authorities claim “it is one of the best specialized centers in the Middle East” but it’s not quite clear what this specialization entails. The shelter boasts 700 beds, but its privately contracted staff is untrained and has no experience dealing with survivors of abuse. MRRORS.org spoke to one woman who claims that the staff not only failed to provide basic support services, but physically and sexually harassed the shelter’s vulnerable residents.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
