Migrant workers in Gulf face rising risks amid regional conflict: HRW

Millions of migrant workers across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are facing heightened risks to their safety and livelihoods due to the ongoing regional conflict, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today.

The rights group warned that the crisis has exposed longstanding gaps in labour protections, particularly under the kafala (sponsorship) system, while creating new threats to workers’ physical security and income stability.

“Millions of migrant workers employed across the Gulf countries are navigating threats to their physical safety and job security amid the conflict,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW.

“The conflict has brought new risks to migrant workers while also exposing the gaps in labour and other rights.”

As of March 25, conflict-related incidents in GCC countries have killed and injured several migrant workers, according to media and official reports.

Among those killed were a Pakistani driver, a Nepali security guard, and Bangladeshi workers in the UAE and Bahrain.

Quoting family, the New-York based rights organisation mentioned Saleh Ahmed, a Bangladeshi driver, was killed in Ajman after debris struck his water tanker. Another Bangladeshi, AM Tarek, died in Bahrain after being hit by shrapnel while leaving work.

Human Rights Watch has long called for mandatory life insurance policies so deceased workers’ families are compensated, regardless of the cause, time and place of death.

It also interviewed family members of Bangladeshi victims and migrant workers injured in the attacks.

Workers described constant fear while continuing essential services in hospitals, transport, and delivery sectors.

“My job is at a hospital, so the work has not stopped,” said one worker in Qatar. “Sometimes explosions come at night, sometimes during the day.”

A delivery worker said he continues working despite risks to earn daily wages.

“There’s no way of knowing where the next missile will land,” he said.

While some workers acknowledged effective air defence systems, many reported anxiety over both safety and job security.

HRW said many workers have seen sharp drops in income, especially those in commission-based jobs.

A Kuwait-based taxi driver said his earnings had fallen by more than half, while another said he earned nothing after several hours of work.

Workers in several countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, also reported rising food prices. Some said their monthly food costs have doubled.

Low-paid workers often rely on small shops not subject to strict price monitoring, worsening the impact.

Hospitality and service sector workers reported reduced hours, unpaid leave, or termination as business declined.

A UAE-based chef said staff numbers in his workplace had dropped significantly, with many employees sent on unpaid leave.

Another worker said employers were encouraging staff to return home but requiring them to pay for expensive tickets.

Workers also highlighted the burden of recruitment loans, often amounting to thousands of dollars, which they must repay despite losing income.

Undocumented workers and those who are on what are colloquially referred to as “free” (azad) visas are among the hardest hit.

A Bangladeshi worker in Bahrain said he is struggling to find work and has had to rely on money from home to survive.

Another worker in Kuwait said his income had fallen drastically while he still had to pay monthly fees to his sponsor.

HRW urged Gulf states to take emergency steps to protect migrant workers, including compensating income losses, ensuring payment of living wages, and enforcing employment contracts.

It also called for airfare support for workers wishing to return home and improved access to social security benefits.

Employers should uphold contractual obligations and avoid shifting financial burdens onto workers, the organisation said.

Governments should also ensure that migrant workers receive clear information aGbout emergency measures in their native languages.

“Governments and employers should take concrete steps to protect workers caught in the crossfire thousands of miles from home and who despite significant risks are doing essential jobs across the Gulf,” Page said.

HRW said it wrote to all GCC governments regarding these concerns but had not received substantive responses.

The organisation reiterated its call for mandatory life insurance policies to ensure compensation for workers’ families in cases of death, regardless of circumstances.