UN Special Procedures Publishes Urgent Appeal to Saudi Arabia on Human Rights Abuses Suffered by Indian National Ramu Mageswari

On 12 July 2019, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children published an Urgent Appeal addressed to Saudi Arabia concerning the human rights abuses suffered by domestic worker Ramu Mageswari, who is an Indian national. Ms. Mageswari[…]

Rise in suicides among migrant laborers in Bahrain gives testament to abysmal conditions and treatment workers endure

Over the past decade, there has been a rise in suicides in Bahrain, primarily among migrant workers. The rise in suicides is a testament to the abysmal conditions that these workers endure. Physical abuse, forced labor, debt bondage, poor living conditions, and isolation are among some of the reasons many expat workers feel the need[…]

Migrant Workers Protest Wage Withholding in Bahrain

On 7 June 2017, migrant laborers staged a rally with almost one hundred demonstrators, consisting of mostly Indian and Bangladeshi workers. The gathering is a notable occurrence in a country that enforces extreme restrictions on the right to free assembly. It was held in Sanad and called for the workers to be paid by their[…]

Bahrain Moves to Reform Kafala, Exclusions Remain

Last week, the Bahrain government announced a new flexible work permit that would allow migrant workers to act as their own sponsor. The new permit is unprecedented as it’s the first mechanism of its kind in the Gulf designed to dismantle the kafala system of sponsorship-based employment, which tethers migrant workers to their employers and[…]

Spotlight on Kuwait: Workers’ Rights in Economic Slump

In Kuwait last week, thousands of Kuwaiti oil and gas industry workers launched a three-day strike in protest over cuts to their wages and benefits. The protest marked a clear sign of how low-waged workers, such as nationals employed in the oil fields as well as other migrant workers employed in the construction and service[…]