ABU DHABI // A report criticising the UAE's sponsorship system, or kafala, was biased, a senior official said yesterday.
An International Labour Organisation report last week said the system caused exploitation and that laws and governance were lacking.
It said employers used the system to retain employees' passports and restrict their movement. Under kafala, employers have personal legal responsibility for the residency and employment of their domestic staff.
Dr Abdul Rahim Al Awadi, Assistant Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs, said the report was not a reflection of the reality.
"The UAE established a committee and there are a lot of things going on in the UAE to combat this crime," Dr Al Awadi said.
"The report was biased. It doesn't take into consideration all the efforts that the UAE makes on the ground in regards to these crimes."
He said sponsorship laws had been relaxed to make it easier for expatriates to change jobs. "And I think this is in response to a lot of requests internationally," he said.
After the release of the ILO report, Dr Saeed Al Ghafli, a member of the UAE Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, said it "did not rely on clear scientific method, it relied on talk from the street."
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique