‘Spiteful’ Cases Against Expat Workers Probed
MADINAH: The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has revealed that it intervenes in cases where “spiteful” cases are registered by sponsors against expatriate workers due to differences between them.
These notifications were often the result of workers running away from their sponsors, resulting in them being arrested by the authorities concerned before being deported.
Sources from the NSHR said that they had also received the same “spiteful notifications” from a number of workers. In many cases, a settlement was reached with the sponsor directly or the situation was resolved through the transfer of the work permit to another sponsor.
The highest number of such cases received by the NSHR originated from Jeddah and Riyadh because these cities having the highest number of workers, the sources said.
“Despite the intervention of the rights body, these issues exist all over the Kingdom,” an official of the NSHR said.
Khaled Al Fakheri, director-general of NSHR, said that the authorities, including passport directorates and Labour Ministry, stated that these notifications — especially those taken out by workers against their sponsors or employers — are ‘irritating’.
He said that the new regulations put in place by the Expatriate and Labour Administration will ensure ending such notifications once and for all.
The NSHR, in cooperation with specialized parties, typically dismisses these “spiteful” cases following investigations, which result in penalties being applied to all liable sponsors.
Al Fakheri confirmed that the labor laws governing domestic workers offer significant protection to expatriate workers’ rights during their stay in the Kingdom.