South Asia: Protect Migrant Workers to Gulf Countries | Human Rights Watch

South Asia: Protect Migrant Workers to Gulf Countries | Human Rights Watch:

"The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should leverage their countries’ collective bargaining power to seek greater protection for their nationals working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the SAARC secretary general. December 18, 2013 is International Migrants’ Day.

A SAARC regional protection initiative could significantly enhance the living and working conditions of workers in low-paid sectors from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh, who routinely face violations of international labor standards and human rights law in the six Gulf states, Human Rights Watch said.

“The Gulf countries should recognize the crucial role foreign workers play in their economies and take measures to ensure that their rights are fully respected,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “South Asian governments should join forces to press for reforms to end the terrible abuses against migrant workers that have gone on for far too long.”"

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