The impact of the novel Coronavirus on migrant workers in the GCC countries

ABSTRACT

This research tracks the evolution of GCC government policies address-ing SARS-CoV-2 in the region and the impact of those policies on migrant workers. Several broad conclusions are drawn. First, is to note a serious failure of all government and international agencies (countries of origin, countries of residence, and relevant UN agencies) to protect the rights of migrant workers in the GCC. Secondly, although some GCC countries (e.g., Qatar) attempted to guarantee at least partially the rights of migrant workers, the implementation relied on employers/sponsors. Thus, these attempts largely failed, leaving many migrants without wag-es, without food, and even without accommodation. The third conclusion is that national policies for workers’ paid leave (if unwell or with symp-toms) were openly discriminatory – usually excluding foreign workers. © 2022, Fondazione Centro Studi Emigrazione. All rights reserved.