Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Fee-Charging Employment Agencies Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 96) - Mauritania (Ratification: 1964)

The Committee notes the Government’s report. It also notes the observations of the Free Confederation of Mauritanian Workers (CLTM), received on 12 June 2019, as well as the information provided by the Government in reply to these observations, received on 21 October 2019.

Part II of the Convention Progressive abolition of fee-charging employment agencies conducted with a view to profit. In its observations, the CLTM alleges a lack of transparency in the recruitment of workers by employment agencies conducted with a view to profit, indicating that intermediary structures, such as unofficial employment agencies, benefit from the indifference or even complicity of the authorities and allow for workers to be deceived. The CLTM mentions, in particular, domestic servants who were allegedly mistreated, abused and regarded as slaves after being recruited by an employment agency to work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Committee notes that the Government is silent on the CLTM’s observations alleging that women domestic workers recruited by an employment agency to work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been subjected to conditions akin to slavery. In this regard, the Committee notes the concerns expressed by the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, at its 308th meeting concerning the consideration of the initial report of Mauritania that, according to the information available to the Committee, “around 900 women working in the Gulf countries are victims of trafficking” (CMW/C/SR.308, 11 April 2016, paragraph 7; see also the Concluding observations on the initial report of Mauritania, CMW/C/MRT/CO/1, 31 May 2016, paragraph 30). The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments with respect to the observations made by the CLTM in respect of domestic workers recruited to work abroad.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.