Author: Rina Mukherji

India Jordan Migrant Labor

Great migrant hope

Indian migrant labourers in Jordon and other West Asian countries have little to hope for unless there is considerable labour reform. For millions of Indians who travel to the Gulf and other West Asian countries for work, the kafala (sponsor) system is a known devil. As per the system, which operates right across the region, […]

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India Jordan Migrant Labor

Despite Jordan’s Efforts, There Is A Long Way To Go To Ensure Protection For Domestic Workers

South Asian workers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh working in Jordanian garment factories in Dhulail Industrial City. Courtesy: Rina Mukherji.

When Meilani Yuswandari, an Indonesian from Jakarta, completed her higher secondary education, she began looking for work abroad. During her search, Yuswandari met a recruiting agent who assured her of an office job in Jordan. But when she reached the country in 2011, she realised that the office job she was promised did not exist. […]

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Bangladesh India Jordan Migrant Labor Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

Despite Labour Laws, South Asian Workers Suffer in Jordan’s Billion Dollar Industries

South Asian workers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh working in Jordanian garment factories in Dhulail Industrial City. Courtesy: Rina Mukherji.

Unlike other countries in West Asia, Jordan lacks petrodollars. In 1996, an agreement with the US gave the country preferential duty-free and quota-free access to the American market. This was the first such agreement the US ever had with an Arab nation and saw the establishment of Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) – essentially, industrial zones created […]

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Bangladesh India Migrant Labor Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

SAARC initiative and migrant labour

The 2014 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit took an initiative on the issue of migrant labour. It sought to ensure safety, security, and wellbeing of their migrant workers in the destination countries outside the SAARC region. This was to be done with the help of international bodies such as the International Labour […]

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