Hundreds of Kenyans have died in Saudi Arabia in the last five years – victims of a modern-day system of exploitation disguised as labour migration. Most are women from Kenya who were reportedly recruited to work in the kingdom. While Saudi authorities there classify their deaths as natural, escapees who suffered abuse and captivity tell a different story. What’s worse, Kenyan government officials – the very people elected to protect them – have been implicated in running dubious recruitment agencies that funnel desperate job-seekers into the brutal system. As Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states rely on cheap African labour, Kenya remains complicit, prioritising remittances over the safety of its own people. Our infographics dig deeper.
