CHALLENGES IN DATA COLLECTION OF WAGE THEFT With respect to wage theft, the biggest issue plaguing data collection is the complete lack of due diligence by state institutions in maintaining updated, transparent and verifiable/official records on migrant workers. Despite large groups of migrant workers becoming unemployed and/or undocumented due to lockdown and ensuing financial downturn and large-scale closure of companies, both countries of destination and countries of origin failed to account for the myriad complications that migrant workers would face and the scale of these issues, compounded by the lack of data on migrant workers.  The initial period of the pandemic saw Missions struggling to account for the number of migrant workers that required immediate assistance and were overwhelmed with requests for repatriation and rescue, which they had not foreseen.  Countries of origin reported lack of data or possessed outdated records – this was particularly true in the case of domestic workers. Furthermore, this data was not transparent to CSO’s and diaspora organisations seeking to provide strategically aimed services despite restrictions.  The lack of data also manifested in the lack of standard protocol for rescue/repatriation to be followed – thereby confusing migrant workers, who were desperate and were struggling for survival by that point. For instance, few Missions included wage theft and its causes/consequences in their forms. Moreover, grassroot level workers from Nepal report that Missions requested migrants to sign forms waiving claims and compensation (or claiming they had none) to board their repatriation flight. This is clear indicator of negligence by state authorities to speed up the repatriation process at the cost of migrant workers basic labour rights.  Civil society notes that there was little cooperation between countries of destination and origin during such extraordinary times. This was particularly observed as countries of origin were tasked with the entire responsibility of repatriating migrants, maintaining communication with national and private air carriers to facilitate their processes. Not only did countries of destination fail to make concerted measures to simplify repatriation measures, but they were also noted as placing pressure upon countries of origin - for instance, in April 2020, the UAE government even released a statement warning that it would “review labour ties with countries refusing to take back citizens, including those who lost their jobs or were put on leave”, and said it was considering “strict quotas for work visas issued to nationals of those states”. Such statements were unwarranted, while considering that there are several ways countries could have collaborated and shared responsibilities to improve situations.  Later, while countries of destination provided for amnesties and extension of visa validity duration, there were also incidents of arbitrary arrests and detaining of migrant workers from their accommodations, and a perceivable lack of monitoring and accountability upon employers who had large-scale layoffs or reported issues of wage theft and suspension of food and health services for their employees. 11