International Human Rights Groups Condemn Forced Labour of Indian Workers in Saudi Arabia

In a powerful joint statement, prominent human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have officially denounced the systemic forced labour of Indian workers within Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure sector. These agencies draw attention to a troubling tendency of wage loss, passport slapping, and excessive heat exposure of thousands of migrants. Although Saudi Arabia is currently making several announcements about the abolishment of the Kafala system, researchers discovered that numerous employees still find themselves in the trap of the debt bondage because of the unlawful recruitment charges. The denunciation is a call to the international community to bring the Kingdom to task since it is rapidly developing extensive constructions before its sporting obligations of 2034 globally.

The Scale of Forced Labour in 2026

Recent investigations into the Riyadh Metro and Giga-projects reveal that forced labour continues to be a grim reality for many. It has been reported that the contractors often fail to pay the salaries months later, and the workforces cannot afford to buy home and basic needs. Such economic entrapment is usually worsened by the bodily hazards of operating in high heat conditions without any sufficient form of protection. Human rights activists also stress that in the absence of clear legal avenue, it is almost impossible to overcome these exploiting conditions, which gives rise to a vicious cycle of contemporary slavery making the fast modernization process in the country look stained.

Urgent Protection for Indian Workers

The plight of Indian workers has sparked calls for the Indian government to strengthen bilateral labor agreements. Most of them are forced into signing contracts that they are not able to comprehend and end up doing something that is completely opposite to what they were promised. Employers can control workers completely with the help of digital surveillance and refusal to provide them with residency permits. The international advocacy groups are currently insisting on compulsory, external inspections of all state related projects to ensure that the dignity of those who make the future of the Gulf is not compromised in the name of industrial speediness and corporate wealth.

Read more: Migrant laborers return to Bangladesh as Saudi aspirations disappoint them

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