About

Founded in 2007 as Migrant-Rights.org, we are now MRRORS – the Migrant Rights Research Open Repository. As an independent organisation, our mission remains the same: to advance the rights of migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) migration corridors through rigorous research, documentation, and advocacy.

MRRORS builds on nearly two decades of work documenting migrant narratives, sparking local debate, and driving change in attitudes, policies, and practices toward migrant workers.

Our new name reflects our belief that migration is a lens through which wider social, economic, and political structures can be understood. Like a mirror to society, the MRRORS platform reveals the realities often made invisible while holding up the possibility of accountability and change.

The Issue  

Migrant workers comprise nearly 50% of the GCC population, and nearly 90% of the workforce in some countries. They are employed in every sector and in every position, but the majority are low-income migrants employed in construction, agriculture, and domestic work.

Laws that govern the employment and residency of migrant workers often leave them vulnerable to exploitation, either because the law does not exist, is weak, or is not enforced. Though many GCC countries have legislated reforms to the sponsorship system, the labour law, and regulations affecting domestic workers, compliance remains a significant issue. Lack of access to justice also presents a significant issue.

Late or non-payment of wages, long working hours, unsafe working conditions, and restrictions on mobility are just a few common examples of the issues that workers endure. Many of these abuses tie back to the sponsorship system and to the inordinate power that sponsors have over their employees. The difficulties most workers face in changing employers render them vulnerable to a sliding scale of exploitation that ranges from delayed wages to modern-day slavery.

Migrants are the drivers of our development. To a significant extent, neither homes nor businesses can function without their services. And beyond their valuable economic contributions, they are integral members of our society. Yet, they are undervalued, ignored, exploited and denied their most basic human rights.

 

Our Aim

We work to transform this status quo through a combination of research, reporting, and advocacy:

Exposing Abuse and Changing the Narrative

Migrants face systematic exploitation, yet local media often amplifies the victimisation of GCC citizens – migrants are scapegoated for crimes, public health issues, and unemployment. These negative attitudes are common in popular discourse and are exacerbated by a lack of information on the issue.

Migrants face systemic exploitation, but public discussion too often scapegoats them rather than addressing the laws and systems that perpetuate abuse. Through evidence-based journalism, legal analysis, and data-driven reporting, MRRORS challenges these distortions. We highlight the realities that workers encounter, from recruitment in their home countries, to their employment in the Gulf, and their return. Our reporting seeks to amplify migrant voices, shift dominant narratives, and push for structural change.

Solutions-based advocacy

We push for reform of discriminatory employment and residency laws and the extension of protections to all migrant workers and their families. Our policy positions are informed by original research with all stakeholders in the migration process, and grounded in the lived experiences of migrant workers.

Our offline initiatives work with GCC-based companies, employers, and students and recruiters to improve employment conditions for migrant workers and improve understanding between all parties.

Our Network

MRRORS is an inclusive platform for migrants, citizens, CSOs, journalists, lawyers, private companies and public entities. We invite you to join our efforts to ensure migrant workers are recognised as rights-bearing members of society.

Our Supporters

MRRORS is supported by institutional grants and individual donations.