Our Achievements

Ethiopia and Kuwait: Efforts to Protect Migrant Workers in Source and Destination Countries. The Ethiopian Immigration Office provides printed information on trafficking in persons, including organizations to contact for help in foreign countries, to thousands of Ethiopians applying for passports to work outside the country. It also requires applicants to view an IOM-produced video, ”Make the Right Choice,” on the risks of human trafficking inherent in overseas employment and what to do in case of victimization. The Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), an association of labor recruitment agencies, under the leadership of General Manager Hashim Majid Mohammed, paved the way for protection of expatriate workers in Kuwait.

KUDLO partnered with the Al-Haqooq law firm and several source country embassies to provide free legal services to domestic workers who faced problems with their employers. KUDLO has been working hard to create the first Kuwaiti-run shelter for domestic workers, who will be able to get speedy legal and administrative assistance to resolve workplace problems such as the lack of pay or harassment. In response to the widespread problem of substituting contracts signed by workers in their home country, in their native language, with new, less favorable contracts in Arabic, KUDLO facilitated an agreement whereby the Indian Embassy and KUDLO review, sign, and file a copy of the contract of every Indian domestic worker before he or she comes to Kuwait. The agreement also provides insurance to the worker in case of health or legal problems.

It is working to sign similar agreements with other embassies. KUDLO also brought together arriving migrants with their prospective employers to educate both in their rights and responsibilities. 

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