Ten months into the Covid-19 pandemic, migrant residents stranded abroad fear that what started off as a short holiday could turn into a permanent lay-off, with forfeiture of due entitlements and loss of their homes and possessions.
Gulf countries are slowly re-opening borders for their residents to return, however, some regulations make it very difficult for them to do so. Kuwait, for instance, has confirmed that expatriate residents whose visas have expired while they remain stuck outside the country cannot return. An estimated 40,000 workers have already lost their residencies - Opens in new tab.
Consequently, migrant workers are paying a premium to return to the Gulf before they lose their jobs and to bypass travel restrictions. Because many are unable to fly directly into Kuwait or Saudi Arabia, they fly into Dubai on visit visas and transit into one of the other GCC states. Currently, the Dubai International Airport is open to almost all countries in the world, with certain regulations in place including mandatory quarantine. These take shape as ‘quarantine packages’ that can cost upwards of US$1000.
A recruiter based in Lucknow India says this is the current racket run by many agents who charge upwards of Rs80,000 (US$1100) for the Dubai transit alone. “The situation is really difficult for migrants who want to return to their work in the Gulf. Mainly Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which is not yet operating direct flights. So now they all have to test before going to Dubai, then quarantine in Dubai for 14 days and again test for Corona before they can go to Saudi or Kuwait.”
This is a major problem because many agents are now running a lucrative recruitment business on top of this as well, he says. “To go back to Saudi Arabia now, they have to pay this huge amount for Dubai tourist visa, hotel, food, corona test, and it can even go up to Rs100,000. There is no guidance given to us by Saudi or Kuwait, or by India.”
Kuwait recently reaffirmed travel restrictions from major origin countries such as India, Egypt and the Philippines, even for workers with valid work permits. Many workers who have been stranded outside the country – roughly 430,000 as of August 2002 - Opens in new tab – have no option except for the pricey transit-route, in order to return before their visas expire.
Although the Kuwaiti government arranged for the return - Opens in new tab of hundreds of migrant healthcare workers and lab technicians in the earlier months of the outbreak, even essential workers, such as nurses from the Philippines, have recently had to take the expensive UAE route.
Other essential workers like public school teachers were also left in limbo. According - Opens in new tab to media reports, the Ministry of Education has stopped renewing the work permits for many of its migrant teachers who are stranded abroad. The Ministry has also confirmed - Opens in new tab that migrant teachers with valid work permits who are stranded abroad will not be paid for those months
Though iqamas can be renewed online, even when the visa-holder is not in the country, the return process remains difficult because the decision for renewal (and the responsibility) still lies with the employer. With the economy still reeling under the pressures of the pandemic, businesses are not keen to bring back workers whose wages they cannot pay.
