Amid preparations for the FIFA World Cup, UN experts are calling on Saudi Arabia to abolish the migrant sponsorship system

April 29, 2026 Human Rights

According to this system, the right of a worker to reside in the country is tied to a specific employer (kafeel). Without their permission, the migrant cannot change jobs. At the same time, in order to leave Saudi Arabia, the worker needs to obtain an exit visa. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, employers sometimes confiscate the passports of foreign employees, but this is officially prohibited.

Experts reminded that the labor reform in Saudi Arabia was announced five years ago, but reports of “abuse and labor exploitation of approximately 16 million migrant workers” are still coming from the country.

It is also reported about cases of death of foreign workers that occurred under “unclear circumstances,” and in these cases, the culprits were not held accountable.

“Wage theft, workplace violence, withholding of documents, identity verification, and extortionate fees for employment continue to occur. These violations must stop,” stated the experts.

The “kafala” system provides employers with full control over the legal status of migrant workers, their residence, mobility in the labor market, and movement. Despite the fact that in 2021 a start was given to the initiative to reform labor legislation, many aspects of this sponsorship system continue to be applied.

“Loopholes” in the legislation allow employers to maintain full control over employees; at the same time, there are reports that sponsors prevent employees from leaving the country and use false criminal charges to punish those who try to leave jobs where they are subjected to cruel treatment.

Access to justice remains limited: many migrant workers face obstacles when filing abuse complaints and cannot obtain necessary legal support. Families of deceased workers often cannot receive information about them, achieve the prosecution of the guilty parties, and obtain compensation.

Experts also note that migrants engaged as domestic servants can become victims of human trafficking. They are forced to work, laboring in harsh conditions, subjected to physical or sexual violence, and deprived of any labor protection guarantees.

“Although many working migrants are the driving force of the Saudi economy, many of them do not have the right to vote and are often drawn into a closed cycle of exploitation,” the experts said.

They again called on Saudi Arabia to take measures and fully include migrant workers in the national system for the protection of workers’ rights, ensure compliance with legislation, and create safe and accessible channels for submitting complaints. They insist on the actual abolition of the “kafala” system both in law and in practice, so that workers can change jobs and leave the country without restrictions.

Experts also called on Saudi Arabia to ratifyInternational Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Ensuring the protection of the labor rights of migrant workers is extremely important not only for the success of the World Cup, but also for the development of Saudi Arabia as a whole, experts emphasize.

Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Gielad Mada, Special Rapporteur on the rights of migrants, and Shivon Mallali, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, spoke at the call to the country’s authorities.

Special rapporteurs are part of the “special procedures” system. Experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff members and do not receive a salary from the organization for their work.