Headlines involving domestic workers in the Gulf often fall into one of two categories: the horrifying or the ‘quirky.’ Reactions to the former – a maid raped, a woman tortured and enslaved – are instantaneous: absolute revulsion. But condemnation of the latter is less apparent, less…
The Philippines withdraws ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to 41 countries with poor working standards
November 9th, 2011
This post is contributed to Migrant-Rights.org by Khara Jabola. One week today, on November 2, 2011, the Philippines banned labor deployment to 41 migrant-hostile countries owing to their failure to pass certification standards set by the amended Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. T...
Perceptions & Rights in Lebanon
November 7th, 2011
Recent events in Lebanon illustrate the importance of social perceptions to migrant rights. An anonymous Lebanese resident is tackling the disparaging conception of road cleaners; the designer by trade has posted signs throughout Lebanese streets asking citizens to respect the Sukleen street cleane...
Another Story of TB and Discrimination
November 4th, 2011
Recently, we reported Yanita’s experiences with the Gulf’s unfair and overzealous Tuberculosis (TB) deportation policies. Mark, a migrant worker from Manila, shares his own, similar encounters with the GCC’s TB laws below: Mark was first diagnosed with minimal pulmonary TB in September...
Philippines toughens rules for maids in Gulf – can it make a difference?
November 2nd, 2011
Gulf Housemaids Sponsorship UAE Women
The kafala or sponsorship system in the Gulf should be abolished, this is an absolute prerequisite for the full personhood and humanization of domestic workers. The Philippine government's new standards for overseas domestic workers and tentative bans on 41 non-compliant host countries are praiseworthy but far from promising--it is highly doubtful that this cosmetically laudable "concrete plan" will make it far off of the pages of the government’s issuance.
Kaisa Ka (Unity of Women for Freedom)
November 1st, 2011
On October 24, 2011 the Philippines played host to the three-day Asia Regional Conference on “Advocacy towards the Ratification and Implementation of ILO Convention 189 on Domestic Workers”. With an estimated 100 million domestic workers worldwide, international labor standards that ensure the s...
Dated TB Laws Do More Harm Than Good
October 31st, 2011
Deportation Gulf Legislation UAE
The social and medical effects of the GCC’s controversial tuberculosis (TB) deportation laws may not be worth the supposed advantages. The UAE deports individuals with active, new, or old pulmonary TB scars. Health officials claim to only deport newcomers, and not long-term residents. But thi...
Migrant Rights and The Arab Spring
October 29th, 2011
With the Arab Spring’s first post-revolutionary election tallied only days ago, it’s difficult to gauge the impact these new governments will have on migrant rights. But, we can assess the movement’s affect on foreign workers up to this point, as well as measure the inclusiveness o...
Saudi Limits Remittances
October 27th, 2011
Saudi Arabia announced recently that it will limit the income migrant workers are permitted to send home. The Labour Minister stated the new “Salary Protection Program” will prevent the ‘exodus’ of wealth leaving the nation in the form of remittances. He did not specify the p...
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