In the coming ten years, nations in the Gulf region are expecting to benefit from an economic boom, especially in the construction sector, and aware of this, many skilled and unskilled workers from India are making a beeline for the area in search of better jobs and pay.
In Qatar, for example, where the FIFA football World Cup is scheduled to be held in 2022, Indians are accepting jobs as contract labourers in that country's booming construction industry. They are also being employed as welders, fabricators, fitters, engineers and doctors. Besides, many organizations have said they require people with various skill levels.
One such beneficiary is 27-year-old Kuldeep. His two-room house in New Delhi's Tilak Nagar is modest, yet there is a touch of completeness to it. Equipped with basic amenities and a stocked kitchen, Kuldeep and his family are content. Having lived in slum-like areas for a majority of his life, this electrician believes exploiting opportunities in the Middle-East has been a life-transforming experience.
"It was difficult to make ends meet while I was working on construction sites in Delhi and Mumbai. I wanted to improve my life. So, my friends and I took the plunge and tried our luck in Abu Dhabi. Later, we explored Qatar, and it suited us... There is no dearth of opportunities, and, we try to make the most of it," said Kuldeep, sharing his journey.
Kuldeep's is not an isolated incident. A large group of workers, who are back home on leave/vacation echo similar sentiments. Yes, they admit that there have been some mishaps and that there are at times employer-employee relationship issues. However, the bigger picture is far from gloomy, a construction worker from Bihar said.
Officials at the Indian Embassy in Qatar and the Government of Qatar hold the view that the death of Indian labourers was "normal" given the size of the community - roughly 500,000.
Also Read
India currently is the largest contributor, 22 per cent, to Qatar's national workforce, which itself stands at 94 per cent foreigners. The Government of India has said it is monitoring the situation and has not rung alarm bells thus far.
A statement of the Embassy of India in Qatar said, "India has a long history of friendly relations with Qatar marked by commercial ties and people to people contacts. The relation today is rich, close and multi-dimensional. The large Indian community acts as a catalyst for enhanced ties across the spectrum of bilateral relations."
"A majority of the Indian community continues to be engaged in unskilled and semi-skilled work, and, therefore, belong to the low or lower-middle income groups, for the last few years, an increasing number of Indian nationals have been engaged in professional jobs as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, bankers, etc. The number of Indians who have established themselves as entrepreneurs is small, but they are affluent," it said.
On the issue of an Indian national facing any dispute with his sponsor regarding non-payment of wages, leave and end-of-service benefits, etc., the statement said that he or she could contact the embassy's labour welfare wing to sort out their problems, and added that officials of the labour welfare wing try to sort out their problems by correspondence and through discussions with the sponsor for an amicable settlement.
"It is evident that economic relations between India and Qatar are strong and are rapidly expanding and diversifying. There is a shared desire on both sides to further deepen these relations," it said.
On November 28, the Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Sanjiv Arora, presided over an open house to address urgent consular and labour issues and cases of Indian nationals in the country. He met all the complainants, discussed their problems and assured them that the embassy would actively follow up their cases with the Qatar Government authorities.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates are by and large the preferred countries for Indian migrants, given the large Indian expatriate community in the region.
Despite higher economic growth and improving living standards in India, workers are still looking towards markets in the Gulf for better job opportunities and earnings. In terms of remittance also, India is the leading country in the GCC region to outflow the largest remittances to its home country.
To avoid any exploitation and to ensure the welfare of Indian workers in the Gulf, the Government of India already has a labour welfare agreement with Qatar, and Memoranda of Understanding on Labour Welfare with the United Arab of Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.
Replying to a question on expatriate Indian workers complaining of being treated badly by their employers in the Middle East, including in Qatar, Minister of State for Indian Overseas Affairs and External Affairs, General (retired) V.K. Singh said in Parliament, "Whenever a complaint or petition is received by the Indian Missions/Posts abroad, the officials immediately take up the matter with the concerned authorities in the local government for redressal."
"The issue is also taken up with the local foreign office through Note Verbale, and, if required, by arranging meetings with the concerned local authorities including universities, law enforcement authorities, etc.. Many a time, our mission/post officials take up the matter directly with the employer also. The issues concerning protection of the interests of Indian nationals are regularly raised during meetings with local dignitaries and during bilateral meetings," he said.
He also said there is a grievance redressal system in place such as open house meetings to expeditiously resolve complaints of Indian nationals over consular services.
Meanwhile, Qatar's Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, as well as the Ministry of the Interior have vowed to scrap controversial elements in the country's current regulations. One such change is in its "Kafala System", in which foreign workers cannot change jobs or even leave the country without permission from their Qatari sponsors.
Other possible changes include mandatory employee welfare contracts, sanctions against employers who fail to meet their obligations, and closer bilateral regulatory links with the workers' countries of origin. Repeated pledge by Middle-East nations to alter controversial laws has, however, cut no ice with the ITUC, which is spearheading a relentless campaign for change in Qatar's existing labour laws.
Based on media opinion alone, the image of the country has taken a hit. Even a clean chit given by FIFA is irrelevant it appears.