7/29/2020
The South Asian-Gulf migrant crisis - The Hindu
The South Asia-Gulf migration corridor is among the largest in the world. South Asians
account for nearly 15 million in the Gulf. According to the World Bank, in 2019, total
remittances to South Asia was about $140 billion, of which India received $83.1 billion,
Pakistan received $22.5 billion, Bangladesh received $18.3 billion and Nepal $8.1 billion.
The South Asian labour force forms the backbone of the Gulf economies, but has had to go
knocking on doors for food and other basic necessities. The pandemic, the shutdown of
companies, the tightening of borders, and the exploitative nature of the Kafala sponsorship
system have all aggravated the miseries of South Asian migrant workers. They have no
safety net, social security protection, welfare mechanisms, or labour rights. The events are
reminiscent of the plight of migrant labourers who had been evacuated during the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait in 1990, as we found during our field research in Kuwait a while ago. In
the initial days of the lockdown, the Kerala government was requested to send regular
medicines for lifestyle diseases. Since medicines are expensive in the GCC, migrants often
procure them from India and stock up for a few months. However, the suspension of flights
caused an acute shortage of medicines, and exposed the frail medical insurance system in
the GCC for these workers. Now, thousands have returned home empty-handed from the
host countries.
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Indians constitute the largest segment of the South Asian workforce. Gulf migration is
predominantly a male-driven phenomenon. A majority of the migrants are single men
living in congested labour camps. They share rooms and toilets, to save earnings to send
back home. The COVID-19 spike in these labour camps has mainly been due to
overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions. However, as the COVID-19 crisis and
response unfolded in the Gulf countries, the most neglected segment turned out to be the
migrant women domestic workers, whose untold miseries have increased in the present
volatile situation. The Indian missions, with their inadequate administrative personnel,
could not adequately cater to the needs of the migrants. The situation forced the Indian
government to repatriate the NRIs through the Vande Bharat Mission. The Indian
government has repatriated over 7.88 lakh NRIs from various destinations. Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc. have also been repatriating their citizens.
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-south-asian-gulf-migrant-crisis/article32215146.ece
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