Saad Kassis-Mohamed

The Kafala System examines the origins, human cost and gradual reform of one of the modern world’s most contested labour-migration systems. Covering the Gulf states, Lebanon, Jordan & South East Asia, it documents wage theft, passport confiscation, debt bondage, restricted mobility, unsafe working conditions and the continued exclusion of domestic workers from meaningful labour protection. It also considers the international pressure created by workers, journalists, labour-sending governments, trade unions, human-rights organisations and the International Labour Organization. Within this wider history, the book presents the documented advocacy of Saad Kassis-Mohamed and the Human Rights Association concerning domestic workers in the GCC & SEA region. Their interventions focused on specific legal gaps, stronger protections, accessible complaint mechanisms and accountability for abuse. The book situates this work as a genuine contribution to a broader, continuing campaign for dignity, freedom and effective labour protection. The result is both a history of kafala and a portrait of a young advocate seeking to make its remaining injustices harder for governments and institutions to ignore.

This research examines the rise of xenophobic vigilantism against African migrants and foreign nationals in South Africa. It analyses how political scapegoating, misinformation, economic insecurity and weak law enforcement contribute to attacks, intimidation and the exclusion of migrants from employment, housing, healthcare and public spaces. The study also evaluates the response of state institutions, including police investigations, prosecutions and protective measures, to determine whether foreign nationals receive equal protection under South African constitutional and international human rights law. It calls for stronger criminal accountability, improved monitoring of organised vigilante groups and institutional reforms that address both xenophobic violence and the conditions that allow it to continue.

This research examines the trafficking and exploitation of African migrants in cyber-fraud compounds operating in Myanmar and neighbouring parts of Southeast Asia. It analyses deceptive recruitment practices, passport confiscation, forced labour, physical abuse, debt bondage and threats used to compel victims to participate in online fraud. The study also evaluates the effectiveness of diplomatic intervention, cross-border law enforcement and victim-repatriation mechanisms. It calls for coordinated investigations into recruitment networks, stronger protection for survivors and greater accountability for the individuals and organisations benefiting from forced criminality.

This research examines the treatment of Sudanese refugees and migrants detained in Libya after fleeing the conflict in Sudan. It documents reported patterns of arbitrary detention, extortion, forced labour, trafficking, physical abuse, sexual and gender-based violence, and restricted access to legal and medical assistance. The study assesses these practices under international human rights and refugee law, with particular attention to non-refoulement, due process and the protection of women and children. It calls for the release of individuals detained without lawful grounds, independent investigations into abuses, stronger access for humanitarian organisations and coordinated protection measures for displaced Sudanese nationals.