Shake-up call to protect Saudi foreign workers

Hopefully, OFWs may now be free from their worries of labor malpractice and abuse of their employers once the recommendation of Human rights campaigners in Saudi Arabia shall be considered by the Saudi government.
The National Human Rights Society (NHRS) proposed that the powers of the Labour Ministry and Passport Department relating to foreign workers be transferred to the new organisation.

The proposals come as part of a study carried out by the NHRS on improving the working environment of foreign workers in the country.
The society has already handed over the study to the authorities at the Ministries of Interior and Labour.

The study also recommends certain procedures to abolish the rules defining sponsorship.

They include an end to the practice of the employer holding passports of expatriate workers, doing away with no objection letters, allowing a foreign worker to bring his family to the Kingdom, employer’s consent to process Haj permit, marriage and family visits besides all terms restricting the employees’ freedom.