Kafala system fuels abuse of Kenyans in Saudi Arabia- Report
The Kafala system, which links a migrant worker's legal status to their employer, gives sponsors almost complete control over workers' mobility.
A new report by Amnesty International has exposed the grim realities faced by Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, trapped in a cycle of abuse, deception, and exploitation under the Gulf nation’s controversial Kafala system.
According to the report, over 70 Kenyan women shared harrowing experiences of torture, mistreatment, and forced labor after traveling to Saudi Arabia in search of work.
Most were recruited by agents who promised lucrative opportunities, only for them to be subjected to exploitative conditions that amount to modern-day slavery.
The Kafala system, which links a migrant worker's legal status to their employer, gives sponsors almost complete control over workers' mobility.
In Saudi Arabia, many women had their passports confiscated, making it nearly impossible to leave abusive situations.
Some were overworked for up to 18 hours a day without pay, food, or rest.
Others suffered physical, sexual, and verbal abuse at the hands of their employers.
One woman recounted being hired as a beautician but was forced into domestic work for over a year without wages.
Another said she fled her abusive employer only to be ignored by the Kenyan embassy, and ended up working illegally with her passport withheld.
Amnesty’s report accuses both the Kenyan and Saudi governments of failing to adequately protect migrant workers.
It urges the Kenyan government to ban exploitative recruitment agencies and calls on Saudi authorities to abolish the kafala system and ensure legal protections for all workers.
Currently, more than 150,000 Kenyans are believed to be working as domestic staff in Saudi Arabia.
While the Saudi government introduced reforms in 2021 to ease some restrictions, human rights groups argue these measures fall short of ending the systemic abuse.
This unfolding crisis highlights the urgent need for stronger bilateral protections, better enforcement of labour rights, and humane treatment of migrant workers who leave home in search of a better life but often find themselves trapped in silent servitude.
