Vani Saraswathi

2 months ago | migrant-rights.org | Vani Saraswathi

You have reached the main content Young, previously healthy migrants returning to Kenya and other African countries in body bags from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), particularly Saudi Arabia, are subject not just  to exploitation and abuse but something far more sinister, according to victims’ families, survivors, and experts.

Feb 14, 2025 | migrant-rights.org | Vani Saraswathi

Bangladesh is pushing hard to send more migrant workers to Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom prepares for various mega projects, including the FIFA World Cup 2034. Saudi hosts the largest number of overseas Bangladeshis – three million – who constitute the single largest expatriate nationality in the country. In December 2024, is issuing between 4,000 and 6,000 work visas daily to Bangladeshis as the Kingdom gears up for major infrastructure projects and high-profile events in the coming years.

Nov 22, 2024 | dhakacourier.com.bd | Vani Saraswathi |Anisul Islam

Despite attempts at reform, the Kafala system in Gulf countries is still custom-built to exploit workers While employer-tied visas are becoming increasingly widespread as a tool of immigration control, their most extreme example remains the Kafala system in the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman). All foreign workers in the GCC, barring a negligible minority, are subject to Kafala.

Sep 26, 2024 | migrant-rights.org | Vani Saraswathi

On September 2, 2024, Raja S. Hasan Al Yusuf, CEO of Government Hospitals in Bahrain, issued a circular directing all government hospitals to refer non-Bahraini patients to private hospitals or their primary hospitals for delivery under the following conditions:The patient is low-risk with no medical issues. The patient is at 37 weeks or term (not preterm). The patient is not booked in primary care or does not have follow-up at Salmaniya Medical Complex.

Sep 7, 2024 | migrant-rights.org | Vani Saraswathi

Bahrain’s Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) recently introduced a decision allowing employers who hire workers with invalid or expired work permits to pay reduced fines instead of facing criminal charges. Additionally, migrant workers without valid permits can avoid conviction and deportation by paying a fine.