Kenyan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia Face Abuse, Legal Barriers, and Social Exclusion

Kenyan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia Face Abuse, Legal Barriers, and Social Exclusion
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Dozens of Kenyan women working as domestic laborers in Saudi Arabia are living in conditions of exploitation, legal uncertainty, and severe social hardship.

A recent New York Times investigation exposes widespread abuse, deprivation of basic rights, and systemic neglect affecting both the women and their children.

Many of these women, employed as housekeepers and caregivers, describe physical and psychological mistreatment by employers, alongside non-payment of wages and confiscation of passports—practices long criticized by human rights organizations under the Gulf’s kafala (sponsorship) system.

The situation worsens for women who give birth outside of legal marriage, as both they and their children are denied basic rights such as birth registration, access to healthcare, and education. Lacking official documentation, many are left stateless and vulnerable to detention or deportation.

According to the New York Times, groups of such mothers and children have been found living near petrol stations in Riyadh, awaiting repatriation after being rejected by authorities and neglected by Kenya’s diplomatic mission. Bureaucratic barriers and limited embassy intervention have left many stranded, unable to return home or secure legal status.

This humanitarian crisis reflects longstanding structural issues in Saudi Arabia’s treatment of migrant workers—particularly women from Kenya, Ethiopia, and the Philippines—despite the Kingdom’s recent reforms aimed at easing labor restrictions.

Human rights advocates have called on both Saudi and Kenyan governments to implement urgent protections, ensure legal documentation for children, and strengthen bilateral labor agreements to prevent further exploitation.

The plight of Kenyan women in Saudi Arabia underscores the wider vulnerabilities of female migrant workers across the Middle East, where gaps in labor law enforcement continue to enable abuse and silence victims seeking justice.