Saudi Arabia has taken a monumental stride towards protecting migrant worker rights by officially ending the kafala sponsorship system. This system, a relic of the 1950s, had tied the fate of over 13 million foreign laborers, including around 2.5 million Indians, directly to their employers. Under kafala, employers acted as sponsors, controlling workers’ visas, employment, and even their ability to depart the nation, creating a power imbalance ripe for abuse. For years, organizations like Human Rights Watch have documented severe exploitation, including withheld salaries, passport seizures, and harrowing instances of forced labor and physical abuse, painting a grim picture of ‘modern-day slavery’. The experiences of workers like Haseena Begum, who suffered severe mistreatment, and Mahavir Yadav, whose death was attributed to employer negligence, highlight the urgent need for reform. The decision to abolish kafala, a move spurred by global criticism and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, allows migrant workers unprecedented freedom to change jobs and travel internationally without sponsor permission. This reform is a critical step, but attention now shifts to ensuring its effective enforcement and addressing the ongoing kafala-like practices that persist in neighboring Gulf countries, leaving millions still at risk.
