Abu Dhabi, UAE (CU)_ A welfare project initiated by an Abu Dhabi-based Pakistani expat which aims at helping the victims of visa and recruitment fraud has grown into a major plan for migrant workers. The project also seeks help and support from the authorities of UAE and Pakistani. Mariam Malik, a Pakistani expat in the UAE who has been a specialist in mass skilled labor recruitment and business creation since 2006, has initiated this project named Naya Mazdoor, especially for the migrant workers. The project is currently being reviewed by the Pakistani government. Malik took more than 15 months to build and develop the project.
In March 2020, she visited Pakistan to pursue with her project and suggest a solution to the government. She went there because she claims that the only politician who shared his concern for overseas employees and had transparency and reform on his political agenda was Prime Minister Imran Khan. In the Gulf countries, Naya Mazdoor registered about 8,000 workers, assisting victims of visa, recruitment and immigration fraud and linking them for repatriation to UAE authorities and the Pakistani government. Malik said, “The Pakistani government, along with Naya Mazdoor, is also reviewing its working class ‘Employment Generation and Empowerment’ plan”.
Malik explained the reasons behind the inspiration to design and develop a solution for Pakistan. She said it came from “the lack of concrete steps by its government to protect its migrant workers since the 1970s and the need to plug the system and procedural gaps that lead to exploitation”, said Malik. Migrant workers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia account for 40 per cent of workers’ remittances flowing into Pakistan from overseas, she added. “Even though Gulf countries have laws in place to protect migrant workers, they face difficulties and exploitation due to the lack of action and reforms locally in Pakistan by the government”.
Malik’s strategy calls for a 360-degree sustainable solution to bring both overseas and local workers into its fold. The strategic emphasis is on six primary areas for the growth of the workforce: business development, jobs, empowerment, healthcare, reform and enforcement of labor laws. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has also shown interest for future collaborations with the Naya Mazdoor project.
Malik spoke about the advantages in implementing the project. She added, “The implementation of the plan will also help curb corruption in Pakistan’s various government institutions and departments related to labor and reveal the loss of billions of dollars caused to Pakistan’s economy, including money leaving the country through illegal channels due to migrant job-seeker exploitation, neglect by the Pakistani authorities, and unethical and illegal recruitment practices that violate international labor Laws.”
