John Dayal
INDIAN migrant workers in West Asia support families in Kerala, Punjab, Bihar, and many other states through their labor and remittances. Their contributions are significant, but their situations are often precarious.
As tensions rise, workers may need to leave Iran soon, yet demand for their labor persists in Israel and could extend to Gaza if US policies under Donald Trump lead to reconstruction there.
This challenges the Narendra Modi government’s policies on diaspora and labor, requiring protection of rights in regions affected by civil wars, aggressions, religious majoritarianism, and isolated xenophobic incidents.
Similar issues arise domestically with internal labor migrations that fill gaps left by those heading abroad.
Estimates put the Indian migrant population in West Asia at 8 to 9 million, varying with border movements. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) hosts about 8.5 million, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs and multilateral data.
Country breakdowns include the United Arab Emirates (3.4 to 3.6 million), Saudi Arabia (2.4 to 2.6 million), Kuwait (1 million), Qatar (750,000), Oman (700,000 to 800,000), and Bahrain (320,000 to 350,000).
Outside the GCC, numbers are smaller and more volatile. Iran hosts 20,000 to 30,000 Indians — students, traders, and professionals — while Iraq has 10,000 to 15,000, often on short-term contracts. These fluctuate with security and diplomacy.
Workers who sell land and jewelry to secure work visas are often the first to seek government evacuation by air when dangers escalate. This was the subject of a popular film on the Kuwait invasion by Iran when the Indian government evacuated tens of thousands of workers in a very short time period.
Yet workers must persist in these jobs, having risked their families’ futures and with few alternatives at home.
India received 12.554 trillion rupees (about US$137 billion) in remittances in 2024, the highest in the world. West Asia provides about 38 percent, with the UAE sending about 2.381 trillion rupees yearly, Saudi Arabia 824 billion rupees, and Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman together about 1.374 trillion rupees.
Flows from Iran and Iraq are difficult to track due to sanctions, with informal channels handling an estimated 92 to 137 billion rupees.
At the state level, Kerala gets about 2.106 trillion rupees, about 19.7 percent of total remittances, contributing significantly to its net state domestic product. Punjab receives about 458 billion rupees, Uttar Pradesh 366 billion rupees, and Bihar about 275 billion rupees — figures indicative of migration patterns and earlier estimates.
The rupee’s decline against the dollar has increased the value of remittances in India.
In Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Libya, ongoing conflicts have led to physical threats, including attacks and kidnappings, necessitating evacuations. Informal remittance systems in these areas heighten financial losses.
Recent labor reforms in GCC countries aim to address some vulnerabilities, though implementation varies and impacts on Indian workers are mixed.
Qatar has abolished exit permits for most workers, introduced a non-discriminatory minimum wage, and allowed limited job mobility, reducing employer control under the kafala system, which binds a migrant worker’s legal residency to a specific employer.
Saudi Arabia’s 2021 reforms permit job changes without employer consent for many, but domestic workers see limited benefits, and stricter enforcement in 2025 led to over 11,000 Indian deportations amid compliance drives.
The UAE has enabled self-sponsorship for skilled workers, long-term visas, and voluntary pensions, replacing end-of-service payments, favoring higher-skilled Indians but tightening entry for low-skilled roles.
Bahrain established a provident fund for migrant end-of-service indemnities and mandatory unemployment insurance, while Oman extended social insurance to migrants for sickness, maternity, and injury, replacing employer liability with a national framework.
Kuwait and Qatar have incorporated domestic workers into labor laws for the first time since 2015-2017, setting minimum standards but facing enforcement gaps.
These changes offer Indian workers better access to social protection, reduced risks of exploitation, and easier repatriation, aligning with India’s bilateral agreements on transparent contracts and grievance mechanisms.
However, nationalization policies like Saudization prioritize locals, potentially displacing low-skilled Indians and increasing deportations, while heat protection measures remain inadequate against climate threats like extreme temperatures that endanger outdoor laborers.
For many, persisting in these jobs despite physical dangers — such as hazardous conditions, violence, or health risks — is essential, as remittances sustain families with no comparable opportunities in India.
Media in Kerala often amplifies panic, but discussions should focus on facts to avoid unnecessary alarm.
Government priorities include building consular support, legal aid, evacuation plans, and diplomatic ties.
US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposals have sparked talk of reconstruction needing foreign workers, but no reliable estimates from the UN, World Bank, or Palestinian sources confirm needs like 500,000 over a decade. Assessments emphasize costs and local labor, with security barriers limiting foreign inflows.
Experts, including former diplomats and West Asia scholars, recommend better data on migrants and remittances, including uncertainties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to West Asian oil states have not yielded strong bilateral labor agreements for rights protection and dispute resolution.
The 1990 Kuwait evacuation during Saddam Hussein’s invasion, depicted in a Bollywood film, highlights the need for crisis planning. Today’s events in Kuwait and Iran demand early warnings, evacuation readiness, and regulated recruitment — now aided by the internet and AI.
Malayalam films portray untrained workers in harsh roles, such as herding or farming, with low pay and exploitative conditions. Skill training is essential for safer, higher-paying jobs and new destinations.
The Trump sanctions affect remittance routes, including through Western banks.
The government supports Gulf workers, who require more consular attention than, say, nurses in the UK’s National Health Service. The case of Indians drawn into the Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores sudden human risks jolting foreign policy.
Workers have reported Indian missions in West Asia and North Africa as unresponsive to low-skilled, low-paid laborers. Diplomatic efforts must prioritize them.
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The article originally appeared in UCA News
