Top stories & key events this year.

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2020 Review

As 2020 ends, it’s time to take stock of what this year has meant
for migrant workers in the six Gulf Cooperation Council states.

Month by month, we walk through policies, practices,
and their impact on the millions of migrants in the region.

January
January was the usual mix of hope, some dashed and some not. We launched a mapping of resources for domestic workers. A comprehensive list of who, what, how, and where of the existing support mechanisms for the most vulnerable.
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In Troubled Waters: The Fishing Sector in the GCC ([link removed])
GCC states have a combined seaboard of 7000km. Seafood is a significant part of local diets. But how are fishermen, almost all migrants, treated? This white paper addresses one of the least protected and most overlooked sectors in the region.
The Philippines implements partial ban on deployment of domestic workers to Kuwait ([link removed])
Increasing cases of extreme abuse against migrant domestic workers in Kuwait results in the Philippines banning deployment of domestic workers.



UAE households must now earn AED25,000 to sponsor domestic workers ([link removed])
In an effort to ensure that migrant domestic workers are paid as contracted, the UAE increases the minimum salary requirement for those seeking to sponsor migrant domestic workers.

Qatar abolishes exit permit for most workers, including domestic workers ([link removed])
January ended with a significant announcement from Qatar, which abolished the exit permit for most workers. Only Saudi Arabia still has an exit permit requirement for migrants.
February
February was the last of the ‘normal’ months this year. It was business as usual, with migrant workers still largely at the mercy of their employers.

Kuwait bans issuing driving licences to expatriate students and nurses ([link removed])
The rhetoric of migrants as a burden on the socio-economic system continues, particularly in Kuwait.
A closer look at the Flexi-Permit two years on ([link removed])
Nearly 30,000 migrant workers signed up for Bahrain’s much-lauded Flexi-Permit. But higher fees, unclear regulations, and growing opposition prevent the scheme from functioning as a viable alternative to the Kafala system.

The Philippines lifts deployment ban on domestic workers to Kuwait ([link removed])
The Philippines decides to resume domestic workers recruitment to Kuwait following new regulations.

March
In the first week of March, we published a draft policy note comparing the healthcare provisions for migrant workers in each of the GCC states. This report only examines the legal framework for healthcare and does not evaluate workers’ actual access to medical care, nor the quality of services received.
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End-of-service gratuity for domestic workers in the GCC ([link removed])

A regional comparison of end-of-service benefits owed to domestic workers. Due to their exclusion from labour laws and the common perception that domestic work is not ‘real work,’ employers and workers alike lack awareness of these entitlements.
Covid-19: GCC states must take careful steps to protect migrant workers ([link removed])
In mid-March, cases of Covid-19 in various countries and specifically in labour camps began to make headlines. We did not know the scale of what was coming, but we did know that the region was not primed to protect migrant workers.

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

As GCC states began responding to the crisis, we reviewed some of the measures and policies that impact lower-income migrant workers directly and provided links to official resources for residents.

Kuwait announces amnesty for irregular migrants ([link removed])
Struggling to cope with the pandemic, Kuwait announced a one-month amnesty for irregular workers and promises to bear the cost of repatriation.
April
In April, GCC states and origin countries responded in different ways to the pandemic, including force majeure resolutions and border closures.

UAE’s resolution to stabilise private sector employment gives businesses a free hand on contract change ([link removed])

UAE’s force majeure resolution states that these procedures should be undertaken ‘in agreement’ with non-citizen employees, though individual workers have little or no agency under the Kafala system.

Op-ed: Community transmission in Kuwait hits migrant workers hardest ([link removed])
“Do we need a pandemic for us to open our eyes and see the miserable living conditions of migrant workers, and take action against the companies that contribute to their miseries?” asks Dalal Alostad ([link removed]) .

The Covid-19 crisis is fueling more racist discourse towards migrant workers in the Gulf ([link removed])
It is not just healthcare workers who are both invisible and indispensable: without migrant workers who continue to work in delivery, cleaning, construction and food industry, Gulf economies would have come to a complete halt by now.

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Structured to Perfection: Racism in the Gulf ([link removed])
“The Gulf states will win the war against Covid-19. When the dust settles, they will take a few knocks and bring in plane-loads of workers from ever more desperate countries to restart the economy. What then of the ones who now live here?” Vani Saraswathi ([link removed]) asks in April’s editorial. Those fears have now come true.

With banks and money transfer agents closed, migrants struggle to send money home ([link removed])

The negative impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the most marginalised populations snowballed quickly. Aside from non-payment of wages and loss of jobs, there is a pressing need to mainstream alternatives to cash and conventional banking transactions.

Decades of migration mismanagement has Saudi scampering to contain the spread ([link removed])
Saudi Arabia repurposed empty schools and built makeshift camps to house migrant workers away from overcrowded accommodations. But, asks Annas Shaker ([link removed]) , is this enough to rectify decades of neglect of migrants’ welfare?

Food woes for quarantined migrants in Bahrain ([link removed])
In Bahrain, low-income migrant workers who were forcefully quarantined in cramped labour accommodations were left completely reliant on civil society organisations for food and basic necessities.

Migrants take their own lives as Covid-19’s psychological impact worsens ([link removed])
Isolation, separation from family, and lack of community make it difficult for migrant workers to deal with the pressures of such a crisis.

UAE not “making it happen” for its migrants ([link removed])
The federal nature of the UAE, with its seven emirates, in addition to the many free zones each with its own legislation, regulations and jurisdiction, makes it very difficult to apply a uniform Covid-19 strategy.

Domestic workers: Bearing the brunt of invisibility, isolation and inequality ([link removed])
We deconstruct the multiple ways in which the Gulf's domestic workers have been amongst those hit hardest by the pandemic.
May
By May, it was clear that migrants would be amongst the worst affected by the pandemic. And that neither destination nor origin governments were prepared to humanely and effectively deal with the issues facing them.

Majority of Bahraini MPs vote for the deportation of irregular migrants ([link removed])
Bahraini MPs who pushed for the deportation bill claimed that irregular migrants are “more dangerous” and more likely to spread Covid-19 among the population.

Saudi Arabia allows businesses to reduce workers' wages without consent ([link removed])
In Saudi Arabia, employers affected by the Covid-19 crisis were allowed to reduce workers wages up to 40% of their total salary as long as they also reduced their working hours proportionally.


Half a lifetime of toil, and all that’s left is charity ([link removed])
The plight of Muneer and his G.P Zachariades colleagues is not unique. Non-payment of wages is a growing problem in Bahrain, particularly in the construction sector, writes Hana Buhijji ([link removed]) .

Gulf countries ease restrictions despite high Covid-19 cases ([link removed])
For migrant workers, the re-opening of businesses provided much-needed economic relief given their exclusion from most financial support schemes. At the same time, they are most exposed to the risks of eased lockdown restrictions.

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Home Is Where Your Employer Sees Fit ([link removed])
This is the first of several pieces by Noah, who works in Qatar as a security guard and shares his lived experiences. This piece is about the box called home.
June

June saw the continuing devastation of lives and economies across the GCC and origin countries.

As the economy suffers, even profitable UAE companies leave employees in the lurch ([link removed])
Hundreds of Sobha Engineering and Contracting LLC employees owed months of unpaid dues are struggling for survival in the United Arab Emirates. This is one of several UAE companies with pre-existing problems that worsened with the pandemic.

Nearly 500 AMB-Hertel workers stage strike in UAE ([link removed])
Nearly 500 workers of Emirates-based AMB-Hertel (an Emirati subsidiary of the French multinational Altrad) protested against months of non-payment.

Moving forward, falling back: What's in store in the new normal? ([link removed])
What happens after the pandemic? “...something will be different, and you won’t be able to see it. During the lockdown, while you were in the comfort of your home, still receiving your salary in full and going to sleep every night with a full stomach, many of the people you interacted with that day were forced to go on unpaid leave,” writes Abrar Al Shammari.

“Prestigious” construction company in Bahrain leaves workers in despair ([link removed])
With unchecked power, businesses — especially those with influential owners — get away with extreme exploitation and human rights violations. Bahraini company Fundament SPC is case in point.

Ready to Fly ([link removed])
In the second article of his series, Noah writes about his recruitment experience before landing in #Qatar.

Qatar to cut wages of foreigners; Kuwait to freeze recruitment of non-nationals in the oil sector ([link removed])
As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on economies, foreign workers are the first to feel the pinch of pay cuts and job loss.
Bahrain must not retain its Tier-1 status in TIP report ([link removed])
Inexplicably, and despite evidence to the contrary, Bahrain continues to do well in the US Trafficking In Persons Report. We argue why their ranking should be degraded.

How Qatar Can Learn From Qatar Foundation ([link removed])
Noah recounts his experience of filing a complaint to change the living conditions he and his colleague were subject to. Where and when does the system work?

Mecca's migrants face economic uncertainty as religious tourism continues to be suspended ([link removed])
Even though the majority of Saudi Arabia’s wealth comes from oil, pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina are also critical to the Kingdom’s economy. With this sector affected, many migrants face an uncertain future.

“We Are All Going To Die Here” ([link removed])
Around 150 workers from Orlando Construction Co had not been paid for three to six months. The workers, primarily from India and Bangladesh, are struggling to survive in a dilapidated camp without food and income, and with little help from embassy and government authorities.

The absent voices of second-generation migrants in the Gulf states ([link removed])
As a third-generation migrant in Kuwait, I have found it challenging on both a personal and academic level to reflect on questions of national identity and belonging, writes Nadeen Dakkak (http://) .

G4S employees in UAE live on food donations ([link removed])
At least a thousand employees of the security giant G4S, a British multinational company, are relying on community donations for food and basic necessities in the UAE.

Qatar sets up a new office to implement rulings in labour cases ([link removed])
Access to justice in Qatar has many barriers, and the workers who manage to file a case and see it through to a final judgement are just a small minority. This move will go a long way in supporting workers. As always, only time will tell how effective these changes are.
July - August

The summer months of July and August saw an increase in violations of rights of migrants across the GCC states, even as the pandemic continued to disrupt the economy.

UAE's compulsory mental health checks for domestic workers is an exercise in victim-blaming ([link removed])
The new ruling reflected – and perpetuated – a perception of domestic workers as inherently prone to psychological issues and violence, even though they are primarily at the receiving end of violence.

UN official presents report on structural racism and 'de facto caste system' of Qatar ([link removed])
The “de facto caste system based on national origin results in structural discrimination against non-citizens, including as the result of immense power imbalances between employers and migrant workers [...] in Qatar,” according to this UN report.

Where are the voices of workers? ([link removed])
Migrant voices are conspicuous by their absence in important dialogues and forums that decide or define their fates, reflects Nourah Al Sulaiman ([link removed]) .


Driven to despair: Male domestic workers in Saudi ([link removed])
Many men formerly employed as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are awaiting repatriation flights and say that their embassies are not prioritising their concerns.

Bahrain's Amnesty: In name and little else ([link removed])
Migrants with absconding charges and travel bans are still not allowed to leave the country, and those who have worked with their employer for less than a year are still not allowed to change jobs without their employer’s consent, even if they are victims of wage theft and abuse.

Touchdown Qatar: First time's a charm, second time… ([link removed])
Noah shares two vastly different experiences in Qatar, across two separate stints.
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Getting Lucky: Client, not employer, decides how you live ([link removed])
What happens when you complain? We find out as Noah raises issues of poor living conditions, while deployed at an organisation considered a ‘model’ employer.

Migrant students left in the lurch in Dubai's 'free zone' education ([link removed])
An increasing number of students enrolled in institutions in Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai International Academic City, including Murdoch University and Nest Academy of Management Education (NAME), are struggling to pay for their accommodation, food, and a ticket home.

Restaurant workers driven to starvation in Saudi ([link removed])
Saudi company Mohammed Al Arfaj and Partners Co. (MAPCO) blamed the pandemic for delaying workers' residency documents even though some of the workers had arrived as early as November 2019. They also abandoned workers without income and food for several months.

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Breaking the wall of resistance: Why mere reforms are not enough ([link removed])
“Advocacy in the GCC states seems an exercise in futility. We persevere to define pockets of rights that need to be protected for a group that is assumed by all to be second-class citizens with no more due to them than what temporary measures may be warranted.”
New reforms and ongoing challenges in Saudi's labour justice system ([link removed])
Migrant workers in Saudi Arabia lack access to reliable information, especially on justice and redress.

The privilege of a normal life ([link removed])
Why should intimacy, and even family life, be reserved for the privileged nationalities and financially affluent, asks Noah.

Saudi expatriate exodus is changing the social fabric of cities ([link removed])
“Many houses in the neighbourhood were vacated en masse. Many still remain vacant. Almost every building – not only in my lane but in the entire neighbourhood, more or less – has vacant flats.”

From Nigeria to UAE, via many deceptions ([link removed])
"My migration journey began in December 2013, when I travelled to Dubai on a 30-day tourist visa, with the hope of seeking greener pastures and creating a better life for my community and family," writes a Nigerian worker in the UAE.
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Born into uncertainty: Pandemic aggravates the woes of migrant mothers and their newborns ([link removed])
Hospitals in the Gulf are required to admit women in labour when they arrive at the ER, regardless of their visa status or ability to pay the cost. However, they will not be able to obtain birth certificates, travel documents or immigration clearance for their infants until they pay their hospital debts or in some countries, provide marriage certificates. Research by Ali Mohamed.

The truth that Saudi's statistics hide ([link removed])
A deeper look at the statistics and data released by the Ministry of Health reveals a curiosity – that they never disclosed how many Saudis were tested versus non-Saudis.

Qatar reforms: Greater job mobility and higher minimum wage ([link removed])
Qatar has announced two significant reforms, one of which loosens the stranglehold sponsors (kafeels) have over workers’ mobility in the labour market. The other is a non-discriminatory minimum wage. Both of these reforms fully include domestic workers, even though they remain excluded from the labour law and are only governed by the Domestic Workers Law of 2017.
September

Emirates Group company Transguard abandons its workers, drives them deeper into debt bondage ([link removed])
A large number of Nepali workers who paid hefty fees to migrate with the hope of improving their livelihood are instead returning with large debts.

Op-Ed: Qatar could lead the way, but implementation is key ([link removed])
The coming months will tell us if the government will sustain the ambition of this reform and follow it up with implementing mechanisms to protect the rights, safety and welfare of the workers who have always been such a crucial part of Qatar’s economy and society, writes James Lynch ([link removed]) .

Qatar kafala reforms come into force ([link removed])
The new Qatar reforms come into force and we put forward some recommendations that would make it truly meaningful.

Expat tax hits small businesses hard in Saudi ([link removed])
Small businesses – especially those that serve the expat community – are struggling largely because of the expat dependent fee that Saudi Arabia introduced in 2017.

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The limits of advocacy ([link removed])
The way forward must recognize that the same barriers to safeguarding the welfare of millions of migrant workers today are those that will continue to obstruct structural reforms tomorrow, writes Rima Kalush.

Migrants in Bahrain face an eviction crisis amid Covid-19 pandemic ([link removed])
As the pandemic worsens Bahrain’s already ailing economy, many migrants have defaulted on their rent due to furloughs, income reduction, and job loss.

Stranded outside Saudi, migrant residents in limbo; confusion over their return ([link removed])
It is critical that the Saudi government keep migrant workers informed of measures being taken to bring back residents stranded abroad. It should also make clear what processes will be established to claim dues and clear liabilities for those who may not be allowed to return due to job loss writes Areej Jamal ([link removed]) .
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Huroob, Runaway, Absconding: Trapping migrants in extreme abuse ([link removed])
The single-most powerful tool in the hands of sponsors is the ability to slap an absconding charge on migrant workers, throwing them in the midst of multiple vulnerabilities – forcing them to work in abusive conditions, becoming irregular, hefty fines, detention, deportation, loss of income, a ban on re-entry, and not to mention the toll on their mental and physical health.

October

In the last quarter of 2020, migrant workers continue to bear the brunt of the pandemic, with many still unable to return home or secure stable employment. Others remain stranded abroad, struggling to return to their countries of employment amid travel restrictions.

Challenges in ensuring ethical recruitment ([link removed])
No zero-cost migration in any corridor exists. Some of the challenges in promoting ‘ethical recruitment’ include determining who should bear what costs, and ensuring that the discussion addresses the unique needs of women migrants. Examples from Bangladesh illustrate common issues that policymakers and migrants encounter.

UAE and Saudi Arabia resume issuing work permits for domestic workers ([link removed])
In early October, the UAE and Saudi Arabia resumed issuing visas for domestic workers after many months of suspension. While additional measures are in place to ensure new recruits are virus-free, no new steps have been announced to protect domestic workers against longer working hours or risk of exposure while working.

Alumco immune to strikes, court ruling, and continuing angst of workers ([link removed])
Saudi firm Alumco owes workers thousands in unpaid wages and failed to renew their residency permits. As of October, the workers received almost none of their due despite strikes and court rulings in the workers’ favours. Some have taken to social media to share their campaign for justice.

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From Non-Payment To Destitution ([link removed])
From non-payment to destitution. Our comic strip illustrates the life cycle of wage theft in the GCC.

18 months of non-payment, Qatari company leaves workers in the lurch ([link removed])
About 550 employees of a prestigious Qatari company – Imperial Trading and Contracting Company (ITCC) – have protested non-payment of wages for over 11 months. Justice mechanisms and the Workers Support and Insurance Fund have so far provided no help.

Minimum wage, maximum adjustment ([link removed])
Workers in Qatar reflect on whether the new minimum wage is a living wage.
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The Kafala is alive and kicking… migrants where it hurts most ([link removed])
Six years since Qatar first claimed to abolish Kafala, workers' experiences — based on Migrant-Right.org's interventions and research — remain more or less static. Despite numerous and noteworthy reforms, the power of kafeels is still largely unchecked.

November - December

Sexually harassed and deported for 'running away' ([link removed])
A domestic worker shares her horrendous experience trying to navigate the Qatari justice system. Though police rescued her from a sexually abusive employer, she was subsequently reported as ‘absconding’ and deported a few days later. Her case is one of many where workers, even when they muster the courage to report abuse, are cowed down by discriminatory laws.

Saudi Arabia announces labour reforms for private-sector workers ([link removed])
In early November, Saudi announced labour reforms which ease some workers’ ability to transfer sponsors and no longer require their employer’s permissions to leave the country. As always, the devil is in the details, and news reports that Saudi abolished the kafala system are incorrect. The country’s 3.7 million domestic workers are also excluded from the reforms.

Bahrain's unemployment benefits for migrants sparks backlash, backpedalling from Ministry ([link removed])
Bahrain’s Ministry of Labour and Social Development (MLSD) has backpedalled on migrant workers’ inclusion in the unemployment fund following an outcry on social media. Migrants pay into the fund at a greater rate than locals, and the Insurance Against Unemployment Law clearly includes migrant workers.


Overseas recruitment resumes while migrants affected by the pandemic remain in dire conditions ([link removed])
Some Gulf states have resumed recruitment of migrant workers, despite tens of thousands of workers affected by the pandemic still in limbo. The UAE, Qatar, Saudi, and Bahrain now allow new work permits and visas to be issued for specific sectors, including domestic work.

Struggling to return ([link removed])
Migrants stranded abroad fear loss of possessions and entitlements in Kuwait and are paying a premium to try to get back before their residency permits expire. Kuwait had confirmed that expatriate residents whose visas expired while they remain stuck outside the country cannot return.

Homeless in the UAE ([link removed])
Hundreds of migrants are stranded and homeless in the UAE. Sri Lankan workers are among those critically affected, in part because the country organises very few return flights. Support from Emirati authorities and the Lankan consulate has been minimal, writes Meenu Sethi ([link removed]) .

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Freetown to captivity ([link removed])
Over 100 Sierra Leonean domestic workers trafficked into Oman are awaiting rescue. But with no Sierra Leonean embassy in the country, the women have no reliable support system to get food and safe shelter, let alone a ticket home.

The ripple effects of the pandemic will continue to affect migrant workers in the new year.

Migrant-Rights.org ([link removed]) will maintain our close reporting and analysis, alongside direct relief work in coordination with our partners across the GCC states. Donations ([link removed]) help to provide food, emergency shelter, repatriation tickets, and other assistance.

If you are able to donate your time, skills, and network, there are thousands of workers who need help filing complaints and fighting injustices. Please feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) if you would like to get involved, or understand more about our work.

We extend a special thanks to our readers, contributors, and volunteers for their extraordinary support in these trying times.

Have a safe and happy new year,

- Migrant-Rights.org team


Migrant-Rights.org ([link removed]) is closely monitoring Covid-19 developments and updating our coverage regularly. Follow us on Twitter @MigrantRights ([link removed]) for our latest news and commentary.

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