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**
The Situation at
a Glance
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Low-income migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) are facing
severe impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Migrant workers form 70% of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries' workforce. The majority are low-income workers who are now facing severe impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Workers are especially vulnerable due to poor living and working conditions that already compromise their health. Crowded accommodations make it impossible for workers to practice social distancing, while lack of sanitation — including running water, uninterrupted supply of potable water and poor drainage systems — also makes recommended hygiene practices difficult.

The economic repercussions for workers are also bleak; workers who depend on daily earnings, such as live-out domestic workers, taxi drivers, and Flexi-permit holders in Bahrain, now have no income at all because of mobility restrictions. Salaried workers also report that they are not being paid while they are under forced quarantine. Migrant workers are unlikely to be fully included in income protection and other response measures.

Anxiety around the virus is also high; uncertainty regarding their income and ability to remit money home is not placated by government communication, which often fails to reach them.

GCC states have launched some positive initiatives, including awareness-raising programs for workers and companies and free treatment in some states. However, protection gaps continue to leave workers at risk and policies often have an unintended impact on workers.

Migrant-Rights.org ([link removed]) is closely monitoring the situation and updating our
coverage regularly. Follow us on Twitter @MigrantRights ([link removed]) for our latest news and commentary.


Policies & Our Recommendations
[link removed]

GCC Covid-19 policies need to better protect migrant workers from infections and other related vulnerabilities ([link removed])

+ Read in Arabic ([link removed])

[link removed]

Kuwait announces amnesty for irregular migrants ([link removed])

[link removed]

Covid-19: GCC states must take careful steps to protect migrant workers ([link removed])

+ Read in Arabic ([link removed]كوفيد-19-يجب-على-دول-الخليج-اتخاذ-خطوات-ح/)

Op-eds (Arabic only)
[link removed]مقال-رأي-هل-يساعد-العفو-العمالة-غير-ال/

صحة وسلامة العمال مقال رأي: هل يساعد العفو العمالة غير النظامية ([link removed]مقال-رأي-هل-يساعد-العفو-العمالة-غير-ال/)

لمواجهة تبعات تفشّي كوفيد-19 في البحرين! ([link removed]مقال-رأي-هل-يساعد-العفو-العمالة-غير-ال/)

[link removed]الكورونا-والعنصرية-تجاه-العمالة-المه/

صحة وسلامة العمال مقال رأي: الكورونا والعنصرية تجاه العمالة المهاجرة ([link removed]الكورونا-والعنصرية-تجاه-العمالة-المه/)


** Country by country resource guide ([link removed])
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More Reads


** Regional
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** Up-to-date tracking of Covid testing in the Middle East ([link removed])
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** Covid19 cases high amongst India's Gulf returnees ([link removed])
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** Qatar
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** Qatar Ministry of Public Health updates ([link removed])
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** Qatar reports first COVID death, a Bangladeshi worker ([link removed])
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** Qatar lockdown turns migrant camps into virtual prison ([link removed])
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** Qatar closes money exchanges: ([link removed])
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** Construction continues on world cup sites ([link removed])
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** Saudi Arabia
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** Saudi Arabia imposes evening curfews and city lockdowns, announces four deaths ([link removed])
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** Saudi reports 1100 cases, provides app for consultations ([link removed])
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** Kuwait
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** Kuwait makes temporary homes for 25,000 workers ([link removed])
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* Over 600 expats repatriated from Kuwait ([link removed])


** Bahrain
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** Bahrain police patrol to enforce COVID-19 laws ([link removed])
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** Oman
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** Oman suspends public transport, including buses and taxis, restricts entry to nationals ([link removed])
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** Oman assures 'no need to worry about visa overstay' penalities ([link removed])
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** UAE
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** UAE records more cases in 20-44 age group, largely do the age of the working (migrant) population ([link removed])
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** UAE to automatically renew expired permits ([link removed])
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* UAE allows private sector employers to restructure contracts, cut pay ([link removed])

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