Kenya domestic workers face extreme exploitation in Saudi Arabia: Amnesty News
© WikiMedia (John Owens for VOA)
Kenya domestic workers face extreme exploitation in Saudi Arabia: Amnesty

Amnesty International (AI) said in a press release on Tuesday that Kenyan women working as domestic laborers in Saudi Arabia face extreme exploitation amounting to slavery and human trafficking

The press release summarizes a 50-page report AI released the previous day, detailing the inhumane treatment of the women by their employers. Domestic workers are forced to work a minimum of 16 hours a day without adequate food or accommodation. The workers have also been barred from taking days off for up to two years at a time and have reported frequent physical, verbal, and sexual abuses. Wages average around US $0.50 an hour, and even that can be withheld at the employer’s discretion.

Approximately four million domestic workers are registered with the Saudi government under the Kafala system. The Kafala system is a sponsorship system prevalent in the Middle East where foreign workers are bound to an employer in their host country who takes on all legal responsibilities for the workers. This often involves the employer confiscating the worker’s passport, phone, and other essential documents — a practice that has been widely criticized for fostering a highly exploitative environment facilitating slavery, indentured servitude, and human trafficking.

Human Rights Watch and other rights groups claim that the Kafala system can often rise to the crime of slavery. Saudi Arabia is party to the 1926 Slavery Convention and is thus obligated to prevent slavery under international law. Furthermore, although many of the previously mentioned abuses are illegal in Saudi Arabia, the laws are very rarely enforced, and those who speak out against their employers risk further abuse.

In 2023, the Saudi government enacted reforms to try to mitigate some of the systemic abuses. However, the changes only apply to Saudi citizens and have been criticized as wholly ineffective. While Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program includes pledges to crack down on the abuse of foreign workers, the present culture of employer impunity and the existence of the Kafala system continue to hinder genuine change.

The lack of opportunities in Kenya has forced many workers abroad to provide for their families, sometimes even with the encouragement of the Kenyan government. However, this has left many workers extremely vulnerable to slavery and human trafficking. AI urges the Kenyan government to take on greater responsibility for its nationals working abroad, and to work with Saudi Arabia to protect migrant workers and provide greater support. AI has also urged Saudi Arabia to end the Kafala program and enforce its existing laws.

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