Stories you might have missed & 2023 reflections
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“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
As we share our last reports of 2023, we recognize that the situation of migrants in the Gulf cannot be siloed from global human rights struggles. We firmly believe that all human rights are deeply interconnected, and that just, equitable societies demand dignity and protection for all people.
Upholding these rights requires solidarity across communities and in this spirit, we reaffirm our unequivocal solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli occupation. The ongoing genocide in Gaza and gross injustices throughout Palestine are sobering reminders of the fragility of human rights progress everywhere.
** New
Know Your Rights Leaflets ([link removed])
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Our new Know Your Rights leaflets are downloadable booklets that provide an overview of workers rights under the labour and domestic workers laws in each of the Gulf states. Additional languages to be added soon.
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** Stories of Origin Series:
Sierra Leone
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** Part One:
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Risking life and limb: Trafficking is the only form of recruitment for Sierra Leoneans headed to the GCC ([link removed])
The trafficking of Sierra Leoneans to the Gulf, mostly women, and mostly as domestic workers, is on the rise. The post-war generation is especially vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. Women recount their experiences with emotional manipulation and the collusion between traffickers and officials.
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed]الإتجار-باسلبشر-هو-الشكل-الوحيد-لتوظي/)
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** Part Two:
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Battered not beaten, Sierra Leonean women pick up the cudgels ([link removed])
Women who returned from gruesome migrations share their stories to raise awareness about the realities of working in the region. Survivors like Lucy are leading community initiatives to support returnees with therapy and skills training, as well as sustainable income opportunities to prevent other women from falling prey to trafficking.
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed]بعد-الإساءات-المبرحة،-السيراليونيات/)
** Updated Legal Comparisons
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Comparison of Health Care Coverage for Migrant Workers in the GCC ([link removed])
This policy note compares the healthcare coverage for migrant workers in the six GCC states. It examines only the legal provisions and does not evaluate migrant workers’ actual access to healthcare or the quality of services received.
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Comparison of End-of-Service Benefits For Domestic Workers In The Gulf ([link removed])
This policy note reviews end-of-service benefits and with annual leaves for domestic workers in each of the Gulf countries. While these workers are generally entitled to fewer benefits than their counterparts in the private sector, they are nonetheless guaranteed a gratuity at the end of their service in every country except for Oman and the UAE.
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** Latest Stories:
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Migrant Detainees Endure Systemic Abuse at Bahrain’s Al-Hidd Deportation Centre ([link removed])
Migrants report being denied healthcare and food for their babies, sharing toothbrushes and struggling for menstrual hygiene products, while the employers responsible for their irregular status escape scrutiny.
Also in Bahrain: Bahrain has expanded its “Labour Registration Program” to include all irregular workers ([link removed]) . Previously, only workers who became irregular before the program’s introduction on 27 October 2022 were eligible to apply. Workers in the country continue to face steep barriers to accessing justice, despite recent reforms at tackling wage theft. In a recent case, an Indian worker was arrested for damaging vehicles of the construction company that employed him, in protest against 10 months of unpaid wages. ([link removed])
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Two Migrant Fishermen Missing From Bahrain For Nearly A Year ([link removed])
Two Indian fishermen in Bahrain vanished without a trace while out at sea. The lack of information on their whereabouts has taken a toll on their anxious families. Compounding their misery, the families are struggling to survive without their primary breadwinners.
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed])
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Three years since sweeping reforms, workers in Qatar face evermore innovative obstacles ([link removed])
MR’s editorial examines setbacks and challenges to Qatar’s reform agenda, including recruitment corruption, rampant wage theft, poorly managed complaints mechanisms, and obstacles to job change. Amnesty International’s research echoes similar findings, while the ILO’s recent progress report presents a more optimistic picture. ([link removed])
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed])
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An overview of Saudi’s new Domestic Workers Law ([link removed])
The law, which comes into force in September 2024, provides better protections but lacks enforcement mechanisms. Key reforms include an explicit ban on passport confiscation, the establishment of maximum working hours, and the introduction of occupational safety and health regulations for the first time. It still does not address minimum wage.
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed])
Also in Saudi: Saudi’s new process for transferring domestic workers’ sponsorship ([link removed]) is rife with problems, with key issues including high transfer costs and lack of clarity on domestic workers’ consent to the process.
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Oman’s New Labour Law: A Review ([link removed])
On 25 July 2023, Oman announced a new labour law for workers in the private sector (Royal Decree No.53 of 2023), introducing new regulations on labour strikes, permission for migrant workers involved in labour disputes to remain in the country, and other significant changes. The new law follows a series of reforms made this year, including a new social security law and the rollout of a mandatory Health Insurance Scheme.
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed]نظرة-عامة-على-قانون-العمل-الجديد-في-عُم/)
Also in Oman: Oman’s Ministry of Labour recently issued a new Wage Protection System (WPS) directive for private sector workers. ([link removed]) All private sector workers must be registered under the WPS by the 9th of March 2024.
** Guest Articles:
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Fossil fuels and climate change: migrant workers take the heat ([link removed])
As the CEO of the UAE’s national oil company presided over COP28 talks this year, the Vital Signs partnership’s latest report lays bare how migrant workers in the Gulf are already experiencing the deadly effects of extreme temperatures
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed])
Also in the UAE: The UAE’s registration deadline for its private mandatory unemployment insurance scheme ([link removed]) officially closed on 1 October 2023. Workers who did not register by this date will face a fine of AED 400 (US$ 109). New workers who join the UAE’s labour force have four months to subscribe to the unemployment insurance scheme before incurring fines.
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Social protection in the Gulf countries: what rights do migrant workers have? ([link removed])
Migrants’ access to social protections is almost always conditional on their employment and tied to their sponsor, if provided at all. The emergence of mandatory private insurance across the region risks greater inequality and increasing costs.
قراءة باللغة العربية ([link removed])
Have you seen our latest interactive infographic? ([link removed])
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