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18. The Committee is concerned about the discriminatory and inhuman treatment suffered by migrant domestic workers. This situation is exacerbated by the sponsorship system which makes them dependent on particular employers for their authorisation to work and to remain in the country. The Committee is also concerned that domestic workers were excluded from the 2010 Private Sector Labour Code, and that the modifications of the sponsorship system have not ensured respect for their basic human rights. The Committee also regrets the absence of effective control mechanisms ensuring the respect for employment regulations by employers. (arts. 7, 8)
The State party should abandon the sponsorship system and should enact a framework that guarantees the respect for the rights of migrant domestic workers. The State party should also create a mechanism that actively controls the respect for legislation and regulations by employers and investigates and sanctions their violations, and that does not depend excessively on the initiative of the workers themselves.