Saudi expatriates' fortune looks up

The government of Saudi Arabia–the largest overseas labour market for Bangladesh–has reformed the ‘kafala’ sponsorship system to allow migrant workers to change their employer or ‘kafeel’ after the end of their contract.

The reform is a big opportunity that can provide freedom in job mobility to the workers who have often been subjected to various forms of abuse and exploitation by their employers in Saudi Arabia.

Officials of the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh recently confirmed that the seven-decade-old "kafala" system has been reformed.

Preferring to be anonymous, an official said that the migrant workers now could change jobs after a one-year contract. As per the job contract, the workers will need to notify their employers at least one month earlier.

However, private car drivers, home caretakers and male housemaids will not access this opportunity.

The ‘kafala’ system that had tied migrant workers to one employer or sponsor whose permission they needed to change jobs, leave and re-enter into the country, was considered globally as a form of slavery, overseas labour market experts said.

Some labour and human rights groups have long been demanding cancellation of the ‘kafala’ system from the Middle East countries. Two years ago, Qatar reformed its ‘kafala’ system.

Experts welcome the Saudi government’s labour reform initiative (LRI) that will relieve the workers, particularly the female ones, from working under a oppressive employer.

The ‘kafala’ system refers to recruitment of migrant workers under sponsorship of employers whose permission they need to change jobs, leave and re-enter into the country. Workers need to go to the Saudi labour court to settle any dispute over their job and employer.

Some immigrants said that workers are used to sign a deal without reading the contract paper thoroughly. Often they are sent to jail due to unintentional violation of their job contract. In case a worker fails to comply with the contract, the employer can lodge ‘huroob’ (absconding) complaint against him or her. Afterwards the Saudi government marks the worker as ‘wanted’ and puts them on a ‘blacklist’. Such workers never can re-enter into the kingdom.

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit’s founding chair and political science professor Tasneem Siddiqui told Prothom Alo that the latest outcome of the LRI is a result of a consistent global protest.

“Female workers are the most vulnerable in Saudi Arabia. The reform in ‘kafala’ is a big opportunity for them to change jobs,” Tasneem said. She, though, suggested a careful review before signing any fresh job contract.

According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), around 4.3 million (34 lakh) Bangladeshi workers have migrated to Saudi Arabia so far. Currently two million Bangladeshi workers work in the kingdom. Among the workers, 300 thousands (three lakh) are female housemaids.

Most of the Bangladeshi migrant workers in Saudi Arabia either do construction work or domestic chores. Less-skilled workers trapped by brokers often migrate to the country for better future. However, there are serious allegations against the employers that subject the migrant workers to forced labour, overtime, mental and physical torture and deprive of them to due wages.

The situation will be changed with the reformation of ‘kafala’ system, sector-related officials said.

Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies’ former secretary general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury has termed the reform as groundbreaking. He told Prothom Alo, “Migrant workers’ long standing demand has been met. Now the aggrieved workers can choose better jobs without the consent of their existing employers.”

*This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Sadiqur Rahman