Riyadh: The Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced reforms to abolish key restrictions that have so far tied millions of low-paid and vulnerable migrant workers to employers.
According to a report by Associated Press, under the reforms which will come into effect from March 2021, migrant workers will have the right to change jobs by transferring their sponsorship from one employer to another. They will also be able to leave and re-enter the country and secure final exit visas without the consent of their employer, something that had long been required.
These reforms, Deputy Minister Abdullah bin Nasser Abuthnain said, will potentially affect around a third of the kingdom’s total population, approximately 10 million foreign workers.
According to Human Rights Watch researcher Rothna Begum, the Saudi authorities are removing some elements of the kafala sponsorship system, which could improve the condition of the migrant workers. Begum, however, cautioned that these reforms do not appear to be a full abolition of the system.
The foreign workers will continue to need an employer to sponsor them to enter the country while employers will still control their residency status
Prior to the reforms, workers under the kafala system had little power to escape abuse from employers because the latter controlled their exit from the country and ability to change jobs.
The new reforms are said to be part of a broader plan (Vision 2030), Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s attempt to make the country more attractive to foreign investors, expand the private sector and diversify the economy.
However, it isn’t clear whether the changes will apply to all migrant workers, including domestic workers such as maids and nannies, Begum said, adding that the information that was released does not specify whether employers can report workers who are absconding.
A full abolition of the kafala system is necessary, Begum argued as workers can sill become trapped in other ways.
