Dubai:
International Human Rights observer Human Rights Watch (HRW) has hailed the Saudi government's proposal to abolish the employer-based sponsorship system under which migrant workers require their sponsor's consent to change jobs or leave the country.
HRW said the sponsorship system fuels human rights abuses against migrants by tying their legal residency in the country to one employer.
"The change would transfer sponsorship to newly created recruitment and placement agencies. However, to fully remove the risk of abuses from the system, Saudi Arabia would also need to amend the Residency Law so that a migrant worker no longer would require a sponsor's consent to change jobs or leave the country," HRW said in a statement.
"The current sponsorship system makes it easy for employers to intimidate, cheat, and abuse migrant workers," said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at the HRW.
HRW said it has documented dozens of cases in which the sponsorship system trapped migrant workers, in particular domestic workers, in abusive working conditions or prevented their return to their home countries.
The Labour Ministry's proposal also calls for a new governmental commission to oversee migrant workers' affairs.
The commission would monitor the newly established recruitment companies and ensure compliance with regulations such as the ban on taking migrant workers' passports.
HRW said the sponsorship system fuels human rights abuses against migrants by tying their legal residency in the country to one employer.
"The change would transfer sponsorship to newly created recruitment and placement agencies. However, to fully remove the risk of abuses from the system, Saudi Arabia would also need to amend the Residency Law so that a migrant worker no longer would require a sponsor's consent to change jobs or leave the country," HRW said in a statement.
"The current sponsorship system makes it easy for employers to intimidate, cheat, and abuse migrant workers," said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at the HRW.
HRW said it has documented dozens of cases in which the sponsorship system trapped migrant workers, in particular domestic workers, in abusive working conditions or prevented their return to their home countries.
The Labour Ministry's proposal also calls for a new governmental commission to oversee migrant workers' affairs.
The commission would monitor the newly established recruitment companies and ensure compliance with regulations such as the ban on taking migrant workers' passports.
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