On 12 September 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) delivered an intervention during the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. During the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, ADHRB drew the Council’s attention to the exploitation of migrant workers in GCC countries, which amounts to modern-day slavery.

We draw the Council’s attention to the exploitation of migrant workers in GCC countries, which amounts to modern-day slavery.

Foreign migrant workers endure harsh conditions: they live in overcrowded, unsanitary housing, work long hours in extreme heat, and suffer physical, mental, and sexual abuse by employers—only to receive low, insufficient wages.

The most alarming issue is the continued use of the kafala system. Under this framework, employers hold full authority over foreign workers, who cannot change jobs or leave the country without written permission. This system enables deception about job conditions, wage withholding, passport confiscation, and denial of essentials such as food, rest, and medical care.

These abuses push workers into extreme poverty, punishments for “disobedience” or for escaping inhumane jobs, deportation, health complications, and death under mysterious circumstances, while employers exploit with full impunity.

Mr. President, the Gulf’s recent economic boom has been built on these enslaving conditions.

We ask the Rapporteur: isn’t it time to end modern-day slavery in the GCC, or must we wait for yet more human rights disasters?

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