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WORLD NEWS Thursday 5 November 2020
Saudi Arabia to remove key restrictions on migrant laborers

By AYA BATRAWY pendent economy.
Associated Press He also noted that widely-
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- criticized conditions for mi-
ates (AP) — Saudi Arabia grants in Saudi detention
on Wednesday announced centers exist regardless
reforms that will abolish of the kafala system, al-
some key restrictions tying though "any move towards
millions of low-paid and de-linking migrant workers
vulnerable migrant workers from the control of a single
to their employers in con- sponsor will certainly ben-
ditions that have been rife efit migrant workers and is
with abuse and exploita- to be welcomed."
tion.The Ministry of Human May Romanos, a research-
Resource and Social De- er on migrant rights in the
velopment said the reforms Gulf with Amnesty Interna-
will allow foreign workers tional, said "the devil is usu-
the right to change jobs by ally in the details" and that
transferring their sponsor- until Saudi Arabia publishes
ship from one employer to the new reforms and fully
another, leave and re-en- enforces them it is very dif-
ter the country and secure ficult to assess the impact
final exit visas without the these promises will have on
consent of their employer, the rights of migrant work-
which had long been re- ers in the country.
quired. Deputy Minister In this Jan. 24, 2020 file photo, workers play cards during their holiday in the Old City of Jiddah, It remains to be seen wheth-
Abdullah bin Nasser Abuth- Saudi Arabia. er these latest changes to
nain said the new so-called Associated Press the labor law will apply to
"Labor Relation Initiative" is all migrant workers, includ-
slated to come into effect employer. try and employers may taking workers' passports, ing domestic workers like
in March 2021, affecting Qatar, which is preparing still have control over their forcing them to work ex- maids and nannies, Begum
potentially around a third to host the next FIFA World residency status," said Be- cessive hours and denying said.
of Saudi Arabia's total pop- Cup in 2022, has recently gum, whose work focuses them wages. This has led Additionally, the informa-
ulation, or approximately introduced similar changes on migrant rights, domestic to hundreds of thousands tion released does not
10 million foreign workers in to its labor laws. workers and women's rights of workers fleeing their em- specify whether employers
the kingdom. Begum described the three in the Middle East. ployers and becoming un- can report workers for ab-
Human Rights Watch re- changes to the Saudi law Under Saudi Arabia's re- documented. sconding. Begum said if an
searcher Rothna Begum as "significant steps that strictive kafala system, The reforms are part of a employer reports a worker
said the information pro- could improve migrant workers had little power to broader plan known as Vi- for absconding or is able
vided thus far shows Saudi workers' conditions," but escape abuse because sion 2030 spearheaded by to cancel a worker's visa
authorities are removing cautioned it does not ap- their employers controlled Crown Prince Mohammed before that person can re-
some elements of the "ka- pear to be a full abolition their exit from the country bin Salman to make the quest a transfer of employ-
fala" sponsorship system in of the kafala system. and their ability to change kingdom more attractive ment, they can become
place across multiple Gulf "Migrant workers still need jobs. Begum recently wrote to foreign investors, expand undocumented in the
Arab states that ties foreign an employer to sponsor about how many employ- the private sector and di- country and then liable to
workers' legal status to their them to come to the coun- ers exploited this control by versify the kingdom's oil-de- arrest and deportation. q

Denmark wants to cull all farmed minks over COVID fears

COPENHAGEN, Denmark Frederiksen said. "Thus, the Denmark's minister for food,
(AP) — Denmark's prime mutated virus in minks can Mogens Jensen, said 207
minister said Wednesday have devastating conse- farms were now infected,
that the government wants quences worldwide." up from 41 last month, and
to cull all minks in Danish Denmark is one of the the disease has spread to
farms, to minimize the risk world's main mink fur ex- all of the western peninsula
of them re-transmitting the porters, producing an es- of Jutland.
new coronavirus to hu- timated 17 million furs per Last month, Denmark start-
mans. year. Kopenhagen Fur, a ed culling millions of minks
Mette Frederiksen said a cooperative of 1,500 Dan- in the north of the country.
report from a government ish breeders, accounts for The government has prom-
agency that maps the 40% of the global mink pro- ised to compensate farm-
coronavirus in Denmark duction. Most of its exports ers.
has shown a mutation in go to China and Hong The country has registered
the virus found in 12 people Kong. 50,530 confirmed CO- In this Friday, Oct. 9, 2020 file photo, minks in a farm in Gjoel in
in the northern part of the According to government VID-19 infections and 729 North Jutland, Denmark. Associated Press
country who got infected estimates, culling the coun- deaths.
by minks. Health Minister try's 15 million minks could A total of 207 out of the a result. step to protect Danish citi-
Magnus Heunicke said half cost up to 5 billion kroner 1,139 fur farms in Denmark Animal welfare group Hu- zens," and said it hoped
the 783 human COVID-19 ($785 million). National po- has been infected with mane Society International that losing so many mink
cases in northern Denmark lice head Thorkild Fogde COVID-19, which prompt- applauded the prime min- to the coronavirus causes
"are related" to mink. said "it should happen as ed the announcement. Mil- ister for taking "such an es- fur farms to get out of the
"It is very, very serious," soon as possible." lions of mink will be killed as sential and science-based business.q