Human Rights Violations of Sri Lankan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Saudi Arabia is the one of main destinations for Sri Lankan Migrant workers. Since 1980s Sri Lankan government has provided thousands of migrant workers to Saudi Arabia. Among these workers, most are house maids. This study was aimed at evaluating the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia for domestic workers in Sri Lanka, and to identify reasons as to why Saudi Arabia does not follow the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to analyze the steps taken by the international community and Sri Lanka for the protection of housemaids in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative data approach was used as the research method and secondary data and primary data were collected from laborers who have migrated to Saudi Arabia. Data was collected through online videos, journal articles, books, reports etc. Consequently this research finds that that Saudi Arabia is a challenging and critical destination for labor migration as house maids are exploited in many ways. Lack of minimum wages, lack of safety and healthy environment, no explicit time of rest, no explicit working hours, lack of access to justice, inhuman treatment and sexual harassment aggravate this situation further. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not following United Nations’ Human Rights conventions including the International Convention on Migrant Workers and Their Families Rights. Their situation Kafala System, working agreement, absence of proper internal labour system for protect housemaids and tied social political legal situation, afraid mentality of house maids increase violation of their Human Rights. In the context of protecting migrant domestic workers' human rights in Saudi Arabia, the United Nations has some difficulties in establishing more effective human rights mechanisms as the main intergovernmental organization for protecting Human Rights. Sri Lankan government has taken some action to prevent labor rights violation, however those are not being successful.