The “Kafala” System and Human Rights: Time for a De­cision

De­vel­op­ment sum­mary

Hanan N. Malaeb’s art­icle in Arab Law Quarterly ad­dresses in­ter­na­tion­al cri­ti­cism of the Kafala, or spon­sor­ship, system in Gulf Co­oper­a­tion Coun­cil states, the spon­sors’ de­fences, and emer­ging trends to­wards ab­ol­ish­ing the system. It also puts for­ward legal ini­ti­at­ives and policy meas­ures aimed at the be­ne­fit of sponsored per­sons and the GCC states’ in­ter­na­tion­al repu­ta­tion.