Unfortunately, these workers face very harsh working conditions in the Middle East. Some are victimized by the employers—denied pay and medical attention—and the women are often sexually and physically abused.

In 2008, in an article for Suite101.com, I had the opportunity to go deeper into why foreign laborers—especially women—are so horribly treated in the Middle East (particularly Saudi Arabia):

"Dr. Ali Alyami, Executive Director of The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, a Washington D.C.-based organization, said during an interview that Saudi Arabia has no legal framework or social system to ensure that migrant laborers are treated equally and protected from various forms of abuse. A recently updated labor law does not provide enough rights and protection to the migrant laborers.

He also pointed out the horrible living and working conditions for migrant laborers. Saudi society, which itself is repressed and deprived of basic rights we enjoy in the Western world, is unable to treat the workers with respect.

Dr. Alyami added that women who come to the Kingdom to work as maids are especially vulnerable to abuse. They are doubly victimized—as a woman and as a foreign laborer."

But the workers continue to flock to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Gulf countries. Nepali government, at this point, seems completely paralyzed to take strong steps to ensure safety of these workers.  Nepal depends heavily on the remittance sent home by these workers, so the government does not want to rock the boat and jeopardize an already fragile economy. But at what cost?

For more on the migrant workers in the Middle East, you can check out this excellent blog, Migrant Rights.

Bhumika Ghimire