Vani Saraswathi

Allegations of organ trade and illegal harvesting are rife as GCC and African states fail to conduct autopsies -  Migrant Rights

Today is the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. In the GCC, from forced labour to sexual exploitation, the reasons vary. Sharing my latest investigation, which is a different level of cruelty. Trafficking for illegal organ harvesting. www.migrant-rights.org/2025/04/alle...

Migrant workers, climate, and constraint: Behind the scenes of Saudi Arabia’s labour engine | Mixed Migration Centre Read about how migrant workers and climate risks intersect in Saudi Arabia, shaping labour conditions, exposure, and (im)mobility outcomes

"...structural vulnerability begins before departure, continues through opaque recruitment systems, and is compounded by debt, climate exposure, and rigid labour arrangements." #Saudi #climatechange
mixedmigration.org/behind-the-s...

Allegations of organ trade and illegal harvesting are rife as GCC and African states fail to conduct autopsies -  Migrant Rights

My investigation for @migrantrights.bsky.social is a deep dive into how trafficking for human organs flourishes, facilitated by design and by the negligence of countries at origin and destination.

www.migrant-rights.org/2025/04/alle...

This is an ongoing case of a Ugandan family being coerced to donate the organs of Patricia, whose death in the UAE is suspicious. This is not a one-off case. Illegal organ trade is rampant in the Africa-GCC corridor. @migrantrights.bsky.social investigated this only recently.
x.com/SpireJim/sta...

30 years: Reflections of a reporter [Thoughts expressed here are personal and not those of the organisation I work for, and other such disclaimers apply.] Chetpet Corporation School I complete three decades in journalism this week. T…

This week, I complete 3 decades in this career. I still get excited by following a new lead, diving deep into a longform piece, and then quickly forgetting that high, chasing a new one lest I drown in self-doubt. Won't barter this for all the fortune in Antilla.
ummon.wordpress.com/2025/06/02/3...

Allegations of organ trade and illegal harvesting are rife as GCC and African states fail to conduct autopsies -  Migrant Rights

@migrantrights.bsky.social‬ reports ongoing allegations of organ removal in cases where no autopsies were conducted. Families are left without clear explanations or official records: www.migrant-rights.org/2025/04/alle...

This is why @esraa.bsky.social created surveillance watch (surveillancewatch.io) connecting VCs to the surveillance companies they fund, so that they are named and shamed.

Deaths by suicide and attempted suicides among low-income migrants are on the rise in #Kuwait, with survivors subjected to immediate deportation and blacklisting. These incidents highlight a deeply rooted system of socio-economic exclusion that severely affects migrants’ well-being. buff.ly/NUYtAji

Allegations of organ trade and illegal harvesting are rife as GCC and African states fail to conduct autopsies -  Migrant Rights

Gloria started feeling ill and went to the KU Hospital.. “that’s when they told me one of my kidneys had failed, and the other was removed.” She started dialysis, and her brother donated his kidney when things got worse. @migrantrights.bsky.social
www.migrant-rights.org/2025/04/alle...

"I believe the authorities would rather have a case of someone who is dead than someone who is missing organs. Because that is a stronger case. So the victims are threatened. There is fear of talking, and there is no protection of victims.” – Feith Murunga, survivor-activist.

“From Saudi I have women calling me and telling me their employers are negotiating saying they will give money if they will donate an organ. About half a million shillings. [...] What’s the guarantee that they will get the money? Or that they will survive?" – Sophia Amimo, survivor-activist

“How is this my daughter? Her body was empty. No stomach inside. Her breasts were cut, and her neck was almost severed. You get someone’s daughter and you do this to her? What has she done big that you do this to her? This man that killed my daughter, I wish I get that man… ”

“They made me sign a paper in Arabic... But I did record the conversation between the doctor and the family. They were saying I had agreed [to donate]...” – Jebrice, whose employers tried to trap her into donating her kidney, before she escaped from the hospital.

My investigation into illegal organ harvesting, primarily in the Kenya-Saudi corridor, where migrants were being violated in the worst possible manner.

Ill-prepared and uninformed, Ghanaian women risk it all for jobs in the Gulf -  Migrant Rights In Ghana, if you come into the world a she, acquire the habit of praying. And master it. Because you will need it, desperately, as old age pursues you [...] If, on top of this, your children, waging a...

In the UAE & Kuwait, they can work up to 12 hours a day, while in Saudi Arabia & Qatar, the limit is 10 hours. In Bahrain and Oman, there are no limits at all.

Instead of relief, #domesticworkers experience heightened workloads, making an already difficult job even more gruelling.
buff.ly/EabCpt3

During #Ramadan, domestic workers—who already endure excessively long hours—face even greater demands. While private sector employees see their working hours reduced by 2 hours during this period, domestic workers are excluded from the labour laws that grant these rights.

A list of books that sound rude (but aren’t) for World Erotic Book Day:

7. HARD TIMES (Dickens)
6. THE HUMAN STAIN (Phillip Roth)
5. BE BOLD WITH BANANAS (Unknown)
3. WHAT’S INSIDE OF ME? (Herbert Zim)
2. A WEASEL IN MY MEATSAFE (Phil Drabble)
1. YOUR WOOD CAN LAST FOR CENTURIES (US Forest Service)

The Kenyan minister publicly states the company recruiting was recommended by his Qatari counterpart, and that the companies do not believe in paying fees to the agents. So how do agencies make money? By fleecing workers.

Kenyan recruitment to Qatar and other GCC states marred by false promises and racketeering -  Migrant Rights

This is a really important report by Jeff Ochieng who has been following the manic Kenyan recruitment drive to Qatar (and to other Gulf countrieS), where both countries are flouting a whole bunch of regulations. www.migrant-rights.org/2025/02/keny...

Jeff Ochieng, the author of our latest report, recounted his own experience of being trafficked to #Qatar:

https://buff.ly/3ERE3Aw

Huge recruitment fees charged for jobs in the Gulf; Qatar recruiters accused of demanding the highest commissions -  Migrant Rights Advancing the rights of migrant workers throughout the Middle East

Recruitment to the #GCC, particularly #Qatar, has long been marred by corruption, with the bilateral labour agreement failing to address these issues. MR's @vanishforever.bsky.social investigated exploitative recruitment practices in the corridor shedding light on the role of #Gulf consultants.

Kenyan recruitment to Qatar and other GCC states marred by false promises and racketeering -  Migrant Rights

At the heart of the controversy is a #Qatari company that the initial recruitment drives were organised for, and which #Kenya's Labour Minister claims came recommended by his Qatari counterpart.

https://buff.ly/3CZ32Be

Kuwait Issues New Immigration Law: A Brief Overview -  Migrant Rights Advancing the rights of migrant workers throughout the Middle East

#Kuwait has enacted a new immigration law, replacing the previous law that had been in place for over six decades. While not a complete overhaul, the law introduces some notable provisions, particularly regarding domestic workers and visa trading, along with stricter penalties.

Will the new Saudi law help migrant domestic workers? Saudi Arabia migrant domestic workers law: Does it address gaps in protection benefits? What is the Kafala system and how does it marginalise workers further? How many Indians work in Saudi Arabia?

There's a lot of talk around Saudi, and I am sharing an FAQ I did for @thehindu.com some months ago
www.thehindu.com/news/interna...

Thank you Paola. Means a lot!

The wage slaves of the Kafala system Despite attempts at reform, the Kafala system in Gulf countries is still custom-built to exploit workers

The wage slaves of the Kafala system - Despite attempts at reform, the Kafala system in Gulf countries is still custom-built to exploit workers by @vanishforever.bsky.social www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-tr...

What a pleasure & a privilege to work with @vanishforever.bsky.social and her dedicated team at migrant-rigts.org! Huge congrats on this 2024 Human Rights & Business Award: so well deserved!! 👏🌏

www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-ne...

Here’s my 2024 wishlist. Except 3 countries (Saudi, Myanmar, Iran) I only want to revisit a bunch of places I visited and did not get enough of: Ghana Sierra Leone Philippines Make it happen universe!!