08/01/2021 Telangana: Migrant workers lose Gulf jobs in pandemic, stare at bleak future | Cities News,The Indian Express countries. We are ready to provide legal aid or engage pro-bono lawyers who can Home India World Cities Opinion Sports help us,” said Reddy, a senior migrant rights activist. EXPRESS REVIEW Entertainment Lifestyle Tech Videos Explained Audio Top News Right Now Kaagaz: Pan distressingly SUBSCRIBE Epaper Sign in Bird u outbreak: Centre sends team to Kerala; migratory birds' toll reaches 3,409 in Himachal Key accused in rape-murder case, Badaun temple priest held GDP likely to contract 7.7% in 2020-21: Govt's rst advance estimate CLICK HERE FOR MORE Meanwhile, as the gulf migrants were grappling with the issue of wage theft, the Government of India in September 2020 came up with circulars reducing the minimum referral wages (MRW) for Indian emigrants to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. “Surprisingly, the responses from the government are not aiming to protect the welfare of Indian migrants. Instead, the recent decisions such the reduction in minimum referral wages of Indian migrants in GCC countries by 30 to 50 percent shatter the dreams of millions of Indian workers,” he said. The circulars from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that MRW in Qatar is fixed at USD 200 and in Kuwait is fixed at USD 245 for work visa holders and USD 196 for domestic sector workers. Listen to more free podcasts on Spotify. 1207: The Catch Up: 7 January S TA R T L I S T E N I N G 3 Things Follow 02:24 A similar circular in the same month stated that MRW in Bahrain, Oman, and UAE is fixed at USD 200. In Saudi Arabia, the MRW is fixed at USD 324. “It is a clear case of exploitation. The government is extracting benefits from our workers without extending any welfare mechanism that enhances the migration experience,” Reddy added. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/telangana-migrant-workers-lose-gulf-jobs-in-pandemic-7136584/ 5/13