Abdu Khal Okaz newspaper Trade in visas is the strangest kind of trade in the world. The visa trader applies for large numbers of visas in the name of ghost companies, and then sells them. This phenomenon is directly responsible for the spread of foreign workers who roam about looking for jobs. It is also the direct cause of many of the problems facing expatriate workers. Problems start when the “sponsor” demands monetary compensation from the worker under his sponsorship. The quick way to overcome this problem is to punish those who facilitate issuance of such visas because this in itself constitutes administrative corruption that affects the entire country and every citizen. Several human rights advocates in the country and outside have been calling for finding appropriate alternatives to replace the sponsorship system. Another fact we must bear in mind is that this system did not help reduce the crime rate in the country or deter foreign workers from escaping from their employers. This proves that the system is a complete failure. This raises the question why the concerned authorities did not consider a proposal made by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) in this regard. The society has suggested the establishment of a legal entity affiliated with the Ministry of Labor to oversee the expatriate workers. This organization will abolish the traditional role of the sponsor. The NSHR also suggested that the organization be named the “Commission for Affairs of Expatriate Workers.” In fact, this is not a new proposal. It was suggested in the early 1980s when the issue of the “white flesh trafficking” surfaced. Laws to protect the country and its citizens should also cover the preservation of the dignity of the foreign worker. The current sponsorship system will never achieve this noble goal. It is high time to abolish this system since there is an effective option manifested in the Ministry of Labor, which represents the government.
