UAE plans replacement of sponsorship system

The Ministry of Labour has proposed to the Cabinet to lay a framework for new employment system for expatriates. The plan, currently under discussion, is yet to be approved, agreed the source.

However, the plan is only under discussions, and there has been no decision yet, about approving it, the source said, refusing to reveal details of the proposed system.

The Minister of Labour has been presented with a good alternative system, to replace the current sponsorship system, and it is more ‘civilized’ than the current ‘backward system’, said Abdul Gaffar Hussain, the President of Emirates Human Rights Authority.

The sponsorship system emphasizes that the expatriates be sponsored by a national employer to obtain work and residency permit, thereby giving the possibility to nationals to control a foreign worker’s entry and departure into the country, and also controlling his or her legal and professional status.

This system is being adopted by few Gulf States, which are dependent on expatriate workforce. However, the system is being heavily criticized in the region and outside as it grants employers the restrictive power over their workers.

The Chairman of UAE Contractors Association, Dr. Ahmad Saif Bel Hasa, said that any decision to this effect will be taken in consultation with the private sector, and that the association is yet to be approached by the Labour Ministry for opinions about this issue.

The Labour Minister in Bahrain already announced that the country was dropping the controversial sponsorship system last year. Despite strong opposition from the business community, there is now, a realization that, altering the system that has ruled the Gulf employment market for decades, could be done without much chaos.

Posted on 6/2/2010

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