Abstract
Every day, around 3,000 workers leave Pakistan in search of employment opportunities abroad, largely because low-skilled options for decent work at home are in short supply. Around 97 per cent of them end up in a Gulf Cooperation Council country, primarily Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Unfortunately, many of them will experience various forms of abuse or exploitation prior to their departure and/or in the destination country, such as extorted migration fees and non-placement (after paying the fees). In the destination country they may not receive their salary, have their documents withheld or their contract substituted for one with unfair terms. They may experience physical or sexual abuse or be supplied with degrading living conditions. Only a few victims of foreign employment-related abuse or exploitation seek justice. The study featured in this report sheds light on the situation of accessing justice in Pakistan as well as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It examines factors preventing migrant workers from registering a complaint and the accessibility and effectiveness of the grievance-handling mechanisms. It also describes bottlenecks in the grievance-handling process and suggests ways to improve it to provide a speedy, accessible, less costly and just remedy to migrant workers.