MIGRANT Indian workers in Gulf countries have often faced serious occupational hazards and other risks. Now, as Iran’s retaliatory strikes following the attack by Israel and the US have been targeting the region, they have further added to the vulnerability of these millions of workers.
The Gulf countries are unique in having migrants/expatriates making up about 56% of their combined population of about 62 million. This can go over 80% per cent in the UAE and Qatar. In terms of the Gulf workforce, over 80% consists of migrants, mostly from South Asia, followed by South East Asia and some from nearby Arab and African countries. The total number of migrant workers is over 25 million. Among all countries, India contributes the largest share with over 8 million workers. Among regions, South Asia contributes the most.
Keeping in view the very large number of migrant workers in the Gulf, there are several reasons to be highly concerned regarding their safety in wartime conditions. Workers tend to live in more crowded clusters, often closer to infrastructure and industrial areas, as well as certain under-construction prestige projects. As they are not regular citizens of the countries where they are living at present, concerns regarding their safety and access to safety conditions for them are unlikely to be on par with those of regular citizens, while the vulnerability of migrants and particularly migrant workers, is higher. Their housing conditions may be more vulnerable to serious harm. Hence, we may see peculiar circumstances in which those who constitute a majority or even an overwhelming majority in some countries may be the most exposed to wartime dangers. The access of these workers to food, other basic needs, and even clean drinking water may be more difficult compared to that of regular citizens.
While everyone keeps hoping as well as praying that the regional war will end as early as possible, due to a number of complicating factors, this may not happen and the war may become even more destructive for some time before better sense prevails and it ends.
Keeping in view all these possibilities, it is important for the Gulf countries to take adequate steps to carefully safeguard the protective interests of these workers and migrants. These migrant workers have made very important contributions to those countries and have received adequate recognition for this. The Gulf countries should carefully plan and provide for the protection of migrant workers in wartime conditions that can worsen further.
Workers willing to leave the region now should get all support. However, due to economic compulsions, several thousand may not like to leave or may not be in a position to leave. Here comes the important part: Their protection. Of course, this appeal should primarily be directed to the Gulf countries by the governments of the countries from where the migrant workers come (who should also facilitate the travel back of the workers who choose to come back) but in addition, various labour bodies, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), should also draw repeated attention to the safety of these workers.
While just now the main issue is of wartime safety of these workers, we cannot forget the excessively high risks, vulnerabilities and even reported high death rate these workers have been experiencing even in normal times. A report prepared by FairSquare, a UK-based NGO specialising in human rights accountability, and some South Asian organisations revealed that nearly 10,000 migrant workers were dying in a year in Gulf countries (report titled Vital Signs—the death of migrants in the Gulf, as reported in The Guardian). About 6,500 migrant workers are reported to have died in the years preceding the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar as massive construction projects were sped up.
A study and investigation based on right to information inquiries by Venkatesh Nayak of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative revealed that over six years, up to mid-2018, nearly 24,750 migrant workers from India died in the Gulf.
Thousands of such deaths of migrant workers were also reported in the documentary film Kingdom Uncovered—Inside Saudi Arabia. Risks faced by workers employed on the biggest prestige projects were also reported.
As mostly young workers go to work in the Gulf, these thousands of deaths have been questioned. Many of them are likely to be related to a high rate of accidents (particularly in the context of construction workers), or high levels of stress and risks suffered due to working in conditions of extreme heat. Many domestic women workers are also reported to have suffered a lot.
Hence, while the immediate need is for wartime safety needs, there is a pressing need also for improving the safety and occupational health conditions to make them more protective.
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Bharat Dogra writes extensively on environment, development and welfare issues. The views expressed here are the writer’s own, and Clarion India does not necessarily subscribe to them. He can be reached at:bharatdogra1956@gmail.com
