Gulf grievances galore as Indian workers register 33K complaints in 2.5 years
The most number of grievance complaints, amounting to almost 50% of the total complaints, were registered in Kuwait
Updated: Dec 17th, 2023
 |
| Representative image (envato elements) |
With 33,252 complaints registered with Indian missions and posts in the Gulf countries between March 2021 to December 2023, a concerning trend about the working conditions in the Gulf countries was highlighted.
The numbers were revealed in Lok Sabha by V Muraleedharan, the minister of the state for the ministry of external affairs (MEA), in the answer to a question raised by MLA Chandra Prakash Choudhary of All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) party.
The countries mentioned in the MEA answer included Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the issues reported by the Indian missions or post in these countries included ‘grievances related to delay in payment/non-payment of salaries, retention of passports, unfair working conditions, substandard accommodation, extended working hours, ill-treatment/harassment etc.’
The most number of grievance complaints, amounting to almost 50% of the total complaints, were registered in Kuwait, at 16,436. The second most complaints about work grievances were received by MEA from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 8,760 complaints.
Here is the country-wise breakdown:
| Country | Complaints from Mar 2021 to Dec 2023 |
| Bahrain | 245 |
| Kuwait | 16,436 |
| Oman | 3,953 |
| Qatar | 891 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2,967 |
| United Arab Emirates | 8,760 |
| Total | 33,252 |
According to MEA’s answer, the grievances are received and responded to through various channels such as emergency numbers, walk-ins, e-mails, social media, etc. Portals such as MADAD and e-Migrate have also been established for online grievance registers. Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) have been set up in Dubai (UAE), Riyadh, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to provide guidance and counselling to Indian workers.
“Indian Missions/Posts abroad utilise the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide necessary assistance in times of distress,” stated MEA.
The answer clarified that from 2014 to Sept 2023, an amount of ₹626 crores of ICWF has been utilised for assisting 3,42,543 Indians in distress in foreign countries.
