What a human rights organization said about the abusive treatment of laborers in Saudi Arabia deserves contemplation and appreciation, regardless of the fact that some news media limited themselves to mentioning only Saudi Arabia though the situation and problem are similar in other countries in the region.
Even though the report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch released on July 15 may be unacceptable to some here in the Kingdom, especially among influential classes, we all must take notice and take a stand.
The trade in foreign servants and laborers has reached a stage almost equivalent to slavery. The slave trade originates in many cases in expat worker’s home countries where unscrupulous individuals collect huge amounts of money from poor job seekers in exchange for a job and work visa.
In the Kingdom, similar “slave trade” companies collect such large sums of money from the imported laborer that nothing is left for him. These poor people have come to Saudi Arabia in search of the means to provide the daily bread for their families back home. But they are often left struggling for survival and remain at the mercy of their employer.
The stories are horrific and embarrassing, detailing the transformation of those who came as laborers into beggars on the streets, jobless and with no means for a living. Some are fortunate enough to collect a hundred dollars a month, a pathetic amount for most of us, but to the desperately poor, food for their loved ones.
The Saudi authorities must put an end to this inhumane phenomenon. It has become a curse on the country just because a minority that has no compassion in their hearts is trading laborers’ visas with few restraints.
I do not see any solution other than shutting down visa shops, some of which have become markets for importing slaves and a source of ruination of the country. A responsible body must be established to expose such transactions on the request of local and international investigators and be charged with investigating and all violations of workers’ rights and ensuring justice for them.
This organization should also be able to protect the rights of household employees from the abuse of their employers who frequently do not give them rest days or vacations or pay salaries punctually. It must guarantee and protect the dignity of our expat workers.
This body could be responsible to check the qualifications and character of the hired laborers so that the Kingdom is not burdened with further problems.
Human Rights Watch should be praised for broadcasting its strong criticism of the laborer’s situation in Saudi Arabia. It deserves to be thanked and not criticized as some of those who are quick to defend anything that is bad for their country’s reputation.
If everything the watchdog said is true, it becomes our duty to accept the facts and search for ways to solve the situation here. If we know that our laborers are being abused, we must stand up and right the wrongs, instead of simply rejecting the criticism we don’t like from beyond our borders.
