A protest on behalf of migrant workers in Qatar near the FIFA Congress in Zurich. May 2015. Martyn Ziegler/PA Archive/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.The Kafala (sponsorship) system emerged in the period between the 1950s and 1960s following the abolition of slavery in the region.
It is a mechanism used in the GCC, and countries such as Jordan and Lebanon, to regulate a guest worker program whereby a migrant workers status is bound to his or her employer or ‘kafeel’ for the duration of their contract.
This system was utilized and solidified in the GCC after an influx of workers after the discovery of oil. Kafala has been discussed in the context of modern slavery and exploitation, and its misuse has also allowed for the facilitation of sex trafficking.
