By Noor Abdulaziz

The sponsorship system, also known as the ‘kafala’ system, has been around since the 1950s. It was initially created to control migration into Arab countries. The kafala system usually defines the relationship between foreign workers and their local sponsors, making them their employers. Under this system, states typically give these employers enough funding permits to bring in said workers, which then binds them to their employers and allows them to be easily exploited.

Across the countries, domestic workers have reported grim instances where employers have been withholding their pay, forcing them to work overtime with little-to-no breaks, failing to provide them proper living conditions, and sometimes having to endure verbal as well as physical abuse. In the last few years, Kuwait introduced a new contract that would protect and honor their basic human rights. The official contract reads workers should not work for more than 12 hours, followed by 5 hours of rest, granting them a day off once a week along with a paid annual vacation.

The contract also obliges the employer to provide suitable housing with adequate means of living, along with food and clothing, in addition to access to healthcare. However, according to some domestic workers, some employers disregard this contract by not fulfilling its requirements. Having worked as a domestic worker for 15 years, Mayaa shares: “I’m lucky to now work for a boss that grants me my rights without having to fight for them. My previous boss would sometimes send me to bed with no dinner, her excuse being that there were no leftovers.

A lot of times she would make me wake up around 6 am and continue working for 15 hours straight with no breaks. I was not allowed to go to my room or use my phone to talk to my children and family during my shift. I couldn’t save myself at the time because the system permitted employers to confiscate passports and phones as well.” When asked if we can interview her employer, her boss gladly accepted. “It is truly disgusting how some local employers feel entitled to treat their workers like slaves. Kuwait is a country of justice and humanity.

If someone were to know about them not following the contract, they would be in a lot of trouble. I personally know someone who refuses to bring in a domestic worker from the Philippines because their country allowed them ‘too many rights’. This shows the fact that there is a hierarchy within the nationalities of domestic workers as well,” she said. “This essentially means she does not want to deal with the consequences of her exploiting a person. She wanted someone she can verbally, mentally and maybe even physically abuse with no repercussions,” she added.

When asked about her thoughts on the current kafala system, she said: “I’m so happy this new contract protects them from those merciless people. However, I would urge the authorities to abolish the kafala system entirely to allow migrant workers substantial freedom. It’s bad enough they must leave their families and travel across the world to provide for them.” This highlights the fact that there needs to be an effective change in hopes of gradually eradicating the kafala system.