NSU Hosts Webinar on Protecting Migrant Labour in the Gulf. North South University’s (NSU) School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) hosted a webinar, as part of the NSU SHSS Distinguished Webinar Series titled, “From Labour Rights to Corporate Risks: Protecting Migrant Labour in the Gulf” on 3 March 2026.
This discussion attracted a broad range of audience consisting of faculty members, students, and legal professionals. The guest speaker for this session was Professor Rosemary Ann Byrne from Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA).
Professor Byrne’s presentation highlighted how the extraterritoriality regimes in the Gulf have transformed labour rights into an intricate landscape where rights are treated as injuries, transactionally negotiated between states, and increasingly viewed through the lens of corporate and national reputational risks. Her lecture addressed the critical yet legally overlooked area of international migrant rights, focusing specifically on the global shift toward temporary labor and the growing reliance on bilateral labor agreements. She argued that the Gulf region’s temporary migration schemes, often characterized by the administrative sponsorship or “kafala” system, are not entirely exceptional and are beginning to influence policies in the Global North.
Byrne highlighted that the current proliferation of bilateral agreements tends to prioritize labor management and transactional regulations over fundamental human rights. She argued that these parallel, often opaque legal regimes inherently embed discrimination based on national origin, resulting in disparities in wages and working conditions for workers depending on their home country. She also explores how sending states increasingly utilize extraterritorial measures, such as diplomatic protection and exit bans, which regulate migration flows but can sometimes conflict with established human rights norms.
Md. Rizwanul Islam, Professor of Law and Dean of SHSS at NSU, in his introductory remarks, emphasized the vital economic contributions of international migrant workers, particularly through remittances to countries like Bangladesh, while expressing concern over their increasing dehumanizing commodification. He further noted that the traditional multilateral regime for protecting these workers is increasingly being supplanted by a complex web of bilateral agreements. Dr. Selim Reza, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and Sociology and Coordinator of the Center for Migration Studies (CMS), South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), moderated the session.
During the Q&A segment, faculty members engaged Professor Byrne on a range of issues, including the limitations of the particular sponsorships regime, the kafala system, the lack of transparency in Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs), and the evolving role of corporate codes of conduct in ensuring worker welfare. The interactive exchange of ideas deeply enriched the webinar experience for all attendees.