HUMAN RIGHTS For A Better Life Migrant Worker Abuse in Bahrain and the Government Reform Agenda WATCH For a Better Life Migrant Worker Abuse in Bahrain and the Government Reform Agenda Copyright © 2012 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-743-4 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law. We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all. 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For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org OCtober 2012 ISBN: 1-56432-743-4 For a Better Life Migrant Worker Abuse in Bahrain and the Government Reform Agenda Summary ............................................................................................................................. 1 Employer and Recruitment Abuses against Migrant Workers ........................................... 2 Attacks against Migrant Workers ..................................................................................... 4 Bahrain’s Reform Efforts ................................................................................................. 5 Government Mechanisms Addressing Abuses ................................................................ 9 Bahrain’s International Obligations .............................................................................. 11 Key Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 14 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 15 I. Background .................................................................................................................... 17 II. Abuse and Exploitation of Migrant Workers .................................................................. 23 Recruitment Process ..................................................................................................... 23 Passport Confiscation and Mobility .............................................................................. 28 Unpaid Wages .............................................................................................................. 34 Low Wages ................................................................................................................... 41 Excessive and Forced Work ........................................................................................... 45 Accommodation and Food ........................................................................................... 48 Physical and Psychological Abuse ................................................................................ 50 Sexual Abuse ................................................................................................................ 53 Suicide among Migrant Workers ................................................................................... 55 III. Protections, Failures, and Obstacles to Effective Redress ............................................. 58 New Labor Law ..................................................................................................................... 59 Other Reform Measures ................................................................................................ 63 Sponsorship Reform ............................................................................................................ 67 Obstacles to Seeking Redress ....................................................................................... 70 Navigating Bureaucracy and Language Barriers .................................................................... 71 Employer Counterclaims ...................................................................................................... 76 Undocumented Workers ....................................................................................................... 79 Limited Mobility of Domestic Workers ................................................................................. 80 Government Mechanisms Addressing Labor Disputes ................................................... 81 Inspections .......................................................................................................................... 81 Mediation ........................................................................................................................... 86 Labor Courts ....................................................................................................................... 89 Criminal Laws Punishing Abuse of Migrant Workers ............................................................. 93 Prosecution of Abuses against Migrant Workers .................................................................. 94 Government Pledges .................................................................................................... 99 IV. Assaults on Migrant Workers and the Government’s Response ................................... 102 V. Workers’ Rights and International Legal Standards ...................................................... 107 ILO Conventions ......................................................................................................... 107 Human Rights Treaty Obligations ................................................................................ 108 Fair and Safe Work Conditions ........................................................................................... 108 Freedom of Movement ....................................................................................................... 109 Physical and Sexual Abuse ................................................................................................ 109 Judicial Redress ................................................................................................................. 110 Business and Human Rights Responsibilities ............................................................... 111 Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 113 To the Government of Bahrain ...................................................................................... 113 To the Governments of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and the Philippines ............................................................................ 120 To Bahraini Companies ............................................................................................... 121 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... 122 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 123 Summary After the first time she hurt me it came to my mind that I want to go back to the Philippines. But then I thought if I go back to the Philippines, what will happen to my family? I cannot support them if I’m back there. But it was too late. Every day madam beat me. ⎯Maria C., migrant domestic worker, Manama, January 2010. *** I received only one [full] salary, and for the other months I got BD27 [$72], but signed for the full amount. The foreman said, “You’ll get the rest in two days, it’s not a problem, so just sign it.” When he said that, I signed it. After working for five months, I asked for my money but they didn’t give me my money. [The site engineer] told me, “Do your work; I’m not going to give you money. We’re only going to give you money for food, BD15 [$40] for 30 days.” I told him, don’t give me money for food, send me home—I paid 80,000 rupees [$1705] on my house and I have to give it back. He said, “There is no money, go to the Labor Ministry, go to the embassy, you won’t get your money.” ⎯Sabir Illhai, migrant construction worker, Manama, February 2010. For over three decades, millions of workers—mostly from south and southeast Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines—have flocked to the Persian Gulf in the hope of earning better wages and improving the lives of their families back home. Most of these workers come from impoverished, poorly-educated backgrounds and work as construction laborers, domestic workers, masons, waitresses, care givers, and drivers. Providing construction and service industries with much-needed cheap labor, they have helped fuel steady economic growth in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. Despite their indispensable contribution to the life of their Gulf hosts, many workers have experienced human rights and labor rights abuses, including unpaid and low wages, 1 Human Rights Watch | October 2012 passport confiscation, restrictions on