The Sunday Mail
Lincoln Towindo
The Kafala system is commonly used to regulate immigrant workers in Arab nations, and is normally codified by law.
It is often abused by human traffickers to enslave unsuspecting foreign job-seekers.
The system consists of laws governing migrant workers’ immigration to and legal residence in countries in primarily Gulf nations, and delegates oversight of migrants to private citizens/companies.
It states that without the employer’s permission, workers cannot change/quit jobs, or leave the country.
If one leaves a job without permission, the employer has the power to cancel his/her residence visa, automatically turning that worker into an illegal resident.
Workers whose visas are cancelled are deported – but often after doing much time behind bars.
Ultra-rich Gulf Co-operation Council countries previously drew the bulk of their cheap labour from Asian countries like India and Bangladesh, whose citizens flocked to the Middle East, to escape the equally tough caste system in their countries.
However, the economic transformation of East Asia resulted in fewer people emigrating to the Gulf, resulting in human trafficking syndicates turning to Africa where there is precious little knowledge about the Kafala system.
Preparations for the 2022 Fifa Soccer World Cup in Qatar have thrown the spotlight on migrant abuses in the Middle East.
There have been innumerable reports of workers dying while on shift as a result of poor safety standards there.
The International Trade Union Confederation reports that nearly 2 000 workers have been killed since the Middle East state won the right to host the tournament.
In March 2016, the United Nations gave Qatar 12 months to end migrant worker slavery or face possible investigation.
