Under the kafala system, the State allows local companies and individuals sponsorship permits employing foreign workers. In Bahrain, though, a Government agency, rather than the employer is the kafeel (worker’s sponsor).
The kafeel is responsible for the travel expenses and housing of the employee, usually in dorm-like accommodations or in the case of domestic workers, within the sponsors home. Most sponsors choose to use a private recruitment agency, in the country of origin, to hire an individual as this makes facilitation and entry into the host country less tedious.
The system falls under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministries and not the Labour Ministries, leaving workers without protection under the host country’s labour laws. This leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation and denies them rights, such as the ability to enter a labour dispute process or join a union.