The South Asian Migrant Crisis

Context: The South Asian labour force which forms the backbone of the Gulf economies requires social security protection or labour rights to improve the working conditions.

Problems faced by the South Asian migrant workers in the Gulf:

• Exploitation: The pandemic and the tightening of borders, and the Kafala system have all aggravated the miseries of South Asian migrant workers. 

• Migrant women domestic workers miseries have also increased in the present volatile situation

• Lack of social security: They have no safety net, social security protection, or labour rights. 
• Expensive medicines: Since medicines are expensive in GCC countries, migrants often procure them from India.

• However, the suspension of flights caused an acute shortage of medicines for migrants.. 

• Congested labour camps: The COVID-19 spike in the labour camps has mainly due to overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions. 
• Inadequate administrative personnel: The Indian missions, due to inadequate administrative personnel, could not adequately cater to the needs of the migrants. 

Way Forward:

• Rehabilitate, reintegrate, and resettle:  Effective implementation of ‘SWADES’ scheme for skill mapping of citizens returning from abroad, is need of the hour. 
• Comprehensive migration management system: Need to bring the South Asia-Gulf migration corridor within the ambit of SAARC, the ILO, and UN conventions.