Three months after the end of the 2022 World Cup, media outrage about Qatar’s infamous labor system has not yet hinted at fading out. The inflammatory accusations against the Gulf country deal with the plight of migrant workers and the perpetration of illicit practices that violate human rights. Coming under fire for the elevated number of workplace injuries and deaths of employees, Nasser Al Khater – chief executive of the event – commented to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News that “death is a natural part of life.” What is the system that allows a country to develop at the expense of invisible lives? Is the world entirely devoid of slavery?
In the era of digital information, slavery may sound like an archaic term confined to history books. However, although the triangular slave trade is indeed a nightmare of the past, new forms of slavery are alive and well. In today’s world, vulnerable workers are being trapped by modern tyrants to sustain the demands of an insatiable capitalism. As resources are unequally distributed, becoming enslaved is turning into an increasingly high risk for many financially unstable people – 49.6 million alone already suffer from this condition according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). In this context, several Middle Eastern countries have recently gained media attention for their controversial labor system, Kafala, which many have condemned as yet another means of incorporating slavery into our society.
A Radical Change
Historically, Kafala – an Islamic jurisprudence concept – was nothing more than a sponsorship system based on the Bedouin principle of hospitality. The purpose of its existence was to regulate the permanence of foreign visitors, for whom a local assumed liability and satisfied their needs. In other words, it was an effective way to discourage the entrance of dangerous individuals into the country. Although where the system is currently applied, the kafil – the citizen in charge of the foreigner – is still theoretically required to vouch for them, in reality the practice has turned into a living nightmare. International critics have accused Gulf governments of taking advantage of Kafala laws to recruit and extort human capital, as the dependence on the kafil has seemingly escalated into a denial of basic human rights.
Several Middle Eastern countries are known for sharing a consensus on the Islamic sponsorship and have adopted similar strategies to maximize its productivity. Why do these countries insist on going against global disapproval so persistently? Firstly, it has to do with the abundant natural resources discovered on their soil and the local demographics. After the British handed back the Arabian peninsula to its own governments, a severe shortage of working hands hindered the development of the economy and the newly born oil industry. Therefore, foreign migrants became an appealing source of labor to compensate for such shortcomings. Later, once large sums of money flooded into local companies, maintaining an abusive labor system guaranteed cheap manpower to build missing infrastructure. Workers forced to endure the scorching heat of the desert thus allowed Gulf countries to rebrand themselves into global hotspots in less than half a century.
Prisoners Under the Sun
One of the main concerns expressed by international organizations is the polarization of society fueled by the divisive nature of Kafala. According to a report published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) exemplifies a paradoxical society where 10 percent of inhabitants are citizens leading a comfortable lifestyle, whereas the remaining portion is mostly made up of oppressed foreign workers with very few exceptions. While locals enjoy free health care, education, and multiple types of financial support, struggling foreigners – mostly construction workers – lament all sorts of abuses. Most notably, salaries are reportedly missed or delayed, living facilities are kept in appalling conditions, and rescinding a contract is never a simple nor viable option.
On the surface, Kafala seems to be close to its downfall due to ubiquitous disdain. In reality, the solution to the issue is rooted in an impervious territory to conquer – the historical imprint of local business makers. In an interview with The Granite Tower (GT), Professor Robert Rudolf (Division of International Studies) emphasized that “the Kafala
system constitutes a strong form of discrimination based on the national origin of workers, therefore reflecting high levels of racist attitudes and xenophobia.” According to the publication Harvard International Review, xenophobic behavior in the Middle East derives from an intrinsic feeling of protectionism toward the natural wealth of indigenous citizens, as well as centuries of labor interactions with neighboring poor countries. Thus, immigrants from historically vulnerable countries have increasingly been correlated with unskilled labor.
Uncertain Steps
Following continuous mayhem surrounding the issue, some governments have finally made their first steps to meet foreign demands. While some – including the UAE – have shared the implementation of smaller-scale reforms, Qatar and Bahrain are among the first countries to claim the abolishment of the Kafala system altogether. Moreover, the state of Qatar has stood out as a particularly vocal party with some notable measures such as the raising of its minimum-wage, as well as the removal of the requirement to obtain an exit permit after a contract termination.
Nevertheless, organizations like Amnesty International have raised new concerns as – with the effect of the World Cup looming – Kafala may not be on people’s minds so often anymore. It is hard to predict the outcome of this battle, particularly in a fast-paced society that lives by the dogma of clickbait information.
As long as key states are members of the United Nations (UN), the likelihood to eradicate Kafala remains low. The highest obstacle seems to be the economic advantage of citizens, which they are likely to hold on to tightly. Even so, it is important to observe that multiple signs of internal dissatisfaction have already emerged. Regardless of whether change will be partial or a complete overhaul of the system, it is clear that the numbers of tormented voices are rising rapidly, and there might not be much time left before the situation degenerates into uncontrollable mayhem.