Using System Justification Theory to Explain the Support of Migrant Sponsorship in Gulf Countries (kafala)

Abstract Millions of individuals work as temporary labor migrants, often in domestic roles, to escape unemployment and support their families through remittances. Labor migrants frequently face exploitation, yet many countries have been slow to reform employment systems for migrants, like the kafala (sponsorship) system common in the Gulf states. To better understand support for the kafala system, we applied System Justification Theory (SJT), a social and political psychology framework that explains why individuals defend the status quo, and surveyed 160 sponsors ( kafeels ) of housemaids ( khaddamahs ) in the United Arab Emirates. Our results revealed that justification of the kafala system was positively associated with sponsors’ identification with other sponsors and with life satisfaction, but was unrelated to need for cognition or to the working conditions of their housemaids. These findings contribute to understanding support for controversial labor systems and expand the application of SJT to the context of labor migration.