Do Gulf Arabs value profit over people Research Paper

Do Gulf Arabs value profit over people - Research Paper Example However, the research indicates the issues of forced labor, economic exploitation and other forms of confiscation of human rights are common in the Gulf States. Many authors believe that the Kafala sponsorship system serves as the main source of exploitation. This system enables the affluent Arabs to use their authority to gain maximum benefits from the migrant workers. Under this system, recruitment and selection process is normally conducted in the home country of migrant workers. The agents remain in constant touch with the Arabs and they provide them employment details and terms and conditions to the agents. The Kafala system enables the sponsor to impose his own determined terms and conditions and employment provisions to the migrant workers who pay a considerable amount of money to the agents in their native country in order to gain access in the Gulf countries. There are numerous incidents indicate that the Kafeel even do not provide them basic employment conditions and standa rdized wages, salaries, bonuses and other benefits to the migrant workers. As the migrant workers know the consequences if they do not accept the harsh employment terms and conditions, they become an easy prey for the Gulf Arabs who treat them as their slaves and give the inadequate employment facilities. Thesis Statement The research indicates that the Gulf Arabs value profits over people. ... ave the highest percentage of migrant workers (Sonmez et al., 2011, p.1).The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s members are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE and there are 35 million people living in the GCC countries; out of which 17 million are expatriates. According to International Labor Organization (ILO) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), about half of the UAE’s 4 million residents served in the Dubai’s construction sector and 95 percent of the UAE’s workforce are contributed by the migrant workers. As a result, the UAE has become a hub for the migrant workers coming not only from developing but also from developed countries as well. Large numbers of Western expatriates come to the UAE. The main reasons include tax-free salaries, perks and benefits. These perks and benefits are the results of the economic growth and development that has led to a substantial boom in the UAE’s sex; girls and women are illegally trafficked while oth ers find money and charm in the life style of the UAE. The forced labor and the Kafala sponsorship system The GCC countries do not offer free labor mobility. The migrant workers are disallowed to offer their services to the businesses in the GCC countries. Recruitment and selection process do not take place in the GCC countries but the migrant workers’ home country facilitates the process of selection and recruitment. As soon as workers obtain a work permit and a work contract for residence and entry, they become contractually tied to sponsors living in the GCC countries. The Kafala system is that guest-workers’ passports are held by the employer- sponsor, known as Kafeel (Gibney and Lansen, 2005 p. 407). This system can be identified as the modern manifestation of slavery (Varia, 2008, p.26). The kafala system