Saudi Arabia abolishes kafala, enables OFWs job mobility

MANILA, Philippines — Saudi Arabia is abolishing the kafala sponsorship system, giving all foreign workers, especially overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the freedom to enter and exit the country without seeking an employer’s permission.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced in November last year that it would implement this month new conditions under which expatriate workers in the Kingdom can benefit, with the aim of improving the kafala sponsorship system in the Kingdom.

Recruitment and migration expert Manny Geslani said from now on, OFWs can ask to change employers, leave the country upon the expiration of their contracts and be allowed more liberal conditions from their employers.

This is especially applicable to Filipino household service workers who are prone to having abusive employers, since the kafala was considered a form of slavery, according to the United Nations.