Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Indian migrant workers exploited and abused in Saudi Arabia...

The lack of effective regulation of visa brokers and rogue recruiting agents make Indian migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, Amnesty International said today in a new report focusing on migrants from the Indian state of Kerala working in Saudi Arabia.

The report, Exploited Dreams: Dispatches from Indian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, highlights cases of migrant workers from Kerala who were deceived about their jobs, wages and working conditions by Indian visa brokers and rogue recruiting agents. The workers went on to face abuse in Saudi Arabia, including forced labour. Migrants reported working 18 hour days, being beaten, threatened and prevented from returning home by their employers.

Saudi Arabia has attracted more low-paid Indian migrants over the last 25 years than any other country in the Gulf region. Every day, close to 1,000 Indian low-wage migrant workers are provided with emigration clearances to travel to Saudi Arabia.

They are recruited to work in cafeterias, supermarkets, construction sites, and guest houses; they sweep streets, cook in restaurants, and serve in households as domestic workers. Together, they send close to 500 billion INR (approximately £5 billion) back to India every year. Remittances to Kerala account for nearly a third of the state’s net domestic product. Full story...

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