(h ps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?locations=QA) or more, minimum wages
ranged as low as US$200 (h ps://www.gco.gov.qa/en/top-news/adlsa-statement-minimum-wage-noc/)
per month.
Men were packed into portacabins and decrepit buildings (h ps://mideastyouth.us1.listmanage.com/track/click?u=734d825dbbff4d439f1774712&id=f5fc2e5e7c&e=e1b66013f3), six to a room if
lucky, hidden behind screens of dust and grime, away from the smart buildings they built and shiny
glasses they cleaned. The women were trapped 24/7 in homes that are their workplaces, every
movement monitored. It is accepted and normalised without question (h ps://mideastyouth.us1.listmanage.com/track/click?u=734d825dbbff4d439f1774712&id=755b7c4078&e=e1b66013f3) that these men
and women will leave behind their families in the hopes of building a be er future for themselves. That
they may live all their productive life in a strange country, excluded from social security benefits and
denied all rights of belonging, is seen as a small price to pay for the supposed fiscal benefits. The fact
that
the
price
is
too
steep
(h ps://mideastyouth.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?
u=734d825dbbff4d439f1774712&id=7131a4bdc7&e=e1b66013f3) is rarely discussed.
“Why did able-bodied, productive individuals struggle for food and shelter in some of the richest
countries in the world?” #DevMa ers
Tweet (h p://twi er.com/share?&text=%22Why%20did%20able-bodied%2C%20productiv
e%20individuals%20struggle%20for%20food%20and%20shelter%20in%20some%20of%20the%20rich
est%20countries%20in%20the%20world%3F%22%20%23DevMa ers&url=h ps://oecd-developmentma ers.org/2021/01/19/protecting-migrant-workers-in-the-gulf-dont-build-back-be er-over-a-poor-fo
undation/)
Then came March, and a worldwide upheaval as the COVID-19 pandemic struck nations
indiscriminately. The official response across the board (h ps://mideastyouth.us1.listmanage.com/track/click?u=734d825dbbff4d439f1774712&id=a2bb2da9b6&e=e1b66013f3)ranged
from
well-meaning but knee-jerk, to discriminatory and short-sighted. Some of the strictest lockdowns were
implemented in the most congested areas of Gulf cities, where migrants live. However, their labour was
considered essential, as the process of nation-building could not be paused. A empts to decongest
(h ps://mideastyouth.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?
u=734d825dbbff4d439f1774712&id=66f62150ed&e=e1b66013f3)were hopeful at best, but the majority
continued to live in cramped quarters, were bussed into construction sites, and remained vulnerable to
this new infection, as they had been to other infections and health perils.
The women, hundreds of thousands employed as domestic workers (h ps://mideastyouth.us1.listmanage.com/track/click?u=734d825dbbff4d439f1774712&id=3fd902b36e&e=e1b66013f3),
have
been
invisible at the best of times because their ability to leave home and enjoy an off day or free time has
always been at the discretion of their employers. The pandemic guidelines prevented even this thin
leeway,
with
some
countries
explicitly
prohibiting
(h ps://twi er.com/MigrantRights/status/1288459739932704768?s=20)
domestic
workers
from
socialising, even when their employers were allowed to. Domestic workers, like a lot of other poorlypaid and badly-treated workers, were considered essential workers. With entire families working and
studying from home, their workload increased exponentially. They were also exposed to strong chemical
cleaning agents without proper protective gear. While their services were essential, even critical, the
individual was considered dispensable and replaceable.