Kafala system

The kafala system (also spelled "kefala system"; Arabic: نظام الكفالة, romanized: niẓām al-kafāla; meaning "sponsorship system") is a system used to monitor migrant laborers, working primarily in the construction and domestic sectors in Gulf Cooperation Council member states and a few neighboring countries, namely Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.^[2]^[3]

The system requires all migrant workers^[4] to have an in-country sponsor, usually their employer, who is responsible for their visa and legal status. This practice has been criticized by human rights organizations for creating easy opportunities for the exploitation of workers, as many employers take away passports and abuse their workers with little chance of legal repercussions and even repatriation.^[5]^[6] The International Trade Union Confederation estimated 2.4 million enslaved domestic workers in the Gulf countries in its 2014 report, mainly from India, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Nepal.^[7]

According to The Economist, "The migrant workers' lot is unlikely to improve until the reform of the kafala system, whereby workers are beholden to the employers who sponsored their visas. The system blocks domestic competition for overseas workers in the Gulf countries."^[8]

^ Armstrong, Jeremy (20 May 2019). "Qatar World Cup stadium migrant workers being paid as little as 82p-an-hour". The Mirror. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
^ Cite error: The named reference HRW_ifiamnothuman_pdf_en was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Khan, Azfar and Hélène Harroff-Tavel (2011). "Reforming the Kafala: Challenges and Opportunities in Moving Forward" ^{[dead link]}, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, Vol. 20, Nos. 3–4, pp. 293–313
^ "Kafala System - Facts about Sponsorship System for UPSC". Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
^ Cite error: The named reference BBC090506 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference cnn130501 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Falconer, Rebecca; Kelly, Annie (17 March 2015). "The global plight of domestic workers: few rights, little freedom, frequent abuse". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference econ130810 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[may2019-1] Armstrong, Jeremy (20 May 2019). "Qatar World Cup stadium migrant workers being paid as little as 82p-an-hour". The Mirror. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.

[HRW_ifiamnothuman_pdf_en-2] Cite error: The named reference HRW_ifiamnothuman_pdf_en was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] Khan, Azfar and Hélène Harroff-Tavel (2011). "Reforming the Kafala: Challenges and Opportunities in Moving Forward" ^{[dead link]}, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, Vol. 20, Nos. 3–4, pp. 293–313

[4] "Kafala System - Facts about Sponsorship System for UPSC". Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2021.

[BBC090506-5] Cite error: The named reference BBC090506 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[cnn130501-6] Cite error: The named reference cnn130501 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] Falconer, Rebecca; Kelly, Annie (17 March 2015). "The global plight of domestic workers: few rights, little freedom, frequent abuse". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.

[econ130810-8] Cite error: The named reference econ130810 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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