Although an accidental blaze – the investigation into its causes and details is underway – this incident has once again brought attention to the lack of safety and deplorable living conditions of migrants in destination countries. (AP)
The morning of June 13, 2024 marred by terrible news for all Indians but especially for the families of over 40 Indian migrant workers in Kuwait. The country woke up to the news of their deaths in a fire in the six-storey building where they lived. As of now, a total of 49 deaths have been reported and at least 50 people have been injured. Among the deceased, 42 were reportedly Indians and 24 of them were from Kerala.
Most of those who died were aged between 20 and 50. Although an accidental blaze – the investigation into its causes and details is underway — this incident has once again brought attention to the lack of safety and deplorable living conditions of migrants in destination countries. Sadly, this is not an isolated event.
Two years ago, during the football World Cup in Qatar, there were several news reports about rising migrant deaths, harsh working conditions and severe violations of human rights. There was similar media coverage during the Dubai Expo, which saw the massive involvement of migrant workers to ensure the rapid development of infrastructure. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia reported that migrants constituted 75 per cent of the total people who tested positive for the virus as of May 2020. The dingy living spaces and cramped dormitories were noted as a major reason for the virus’s rapid spread among the migrant community.
The tragic deaths of migrants in Kuwait add to the list of serious risks – sometimes even leading to death – faced by migrants in the short span of the last five years. These crises are a result of a chronic indifference towards addressing migrant rights, safety and working conditions in destination countries. The repetition of the incidents also suggests that we have not learned the lessons we should have: Migrant issues are only in momentary focus and are topics of debate as long as there is an alarming situation. But considering the strength of the Indian diaspora around the world, especially the migration corridor India shares with West Asia, we need well-thought-out, effective policies to ensure the safety and well-being of migrants from India.
The Kerala Migration Survey (KMS) 2023 estimates that 2.2 million people from the state have migrated, with 80 per cent of them residing in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The majority of these migrants work in the unorganised sector, such as construction sites and factories, where they often face dangerous working conditions. Additionally, since migrants in Gulf countries do not have the option of permanent residency, they are not adequately protected and have few rights, which can lead to exploitative labour conditions similar to those observed in Qatar in the run-up to the World Cup.
One of the major challenges in addressing these issues is the lack of data on migrants — both at their origin and destination countries. Even when deaths of several migrant workers were reported in Qatar over the last decade owing to involvement in the rapid construction works, neither the country’s Ministry of Public Health nor the several embassies of Asian countries – where most workers come from – in Qatar had any concrete data regarding the health status of migrants, the exact reason for their deaths or possible redressal actions sought. The lack of clarity and uniformity in data available from different agencies was indicative of the grave invisibilisation of the migrants, especially those employed in the low-skill, low-paying job profiles. These set of migrants also tend to be the most vulnerable, staying away from home with limited resources and means to defend themselves.
Although sources of data like the KMS provide regular updates regarding patterns of emigration, return migration and remittances in Kerala and have been replicated in many Indian states, including Jharkhand, Punjab, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, we still have a long way to go in systematically studying migration from India. There is an urgent need, especially given the large number of migrants from India to various parts of the world, to study the conditions of their migration and their lives in the destination country. A national-level migration database is a necessary step forward to adequately understand the various sections of migrants from India and also the increasing trend of return migration, as observed in the latest KMS figures.
Most Indians migrate with dreams of a better future for themselves and their families. But far too often, they are seen only in a reductive manner, as people sending remittances to the home country. We often fail to look at the people behind the remittance and the human cost of migration. New Delhi has signed Memoranda of Understanding with almost all of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on mobility and migration. Yet, India has not yet been fully successful in tapping the potential of being one of the strongest migrant-sending countries to ensure the well-being of its people in the destination country. It is high time that India is known as the country with the most efficient infrastructure for ensuring safe migration and life at the destination for migrants, not just the highest migrant-sending country that receives the most remittances.
The writers are Chair and Research Fellow respectively at the International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD), Kerala, India
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