Recommendations for Migrant Labor Reform in Qatar to Fulfill the U.S. Foreign Policy Objective of Greater Respect for Human Rights In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries.
Abstract
POLICY QUESTION
What types of migrant labor reforms should the United States Department of State propose
to Doha, Qatar, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in order to fulfill
the US foreign policy goal to promote greater respect for human rights in the GCC?
BACKGROUND
The Gulf Cooperation Council is a political and economic union of six countries that
border the Persian Gulf. In 1981, the nations of Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Kuwait formed this regional and collaborative
union. These six Arab nations share a common religious and cultural identity similar
to that of other nations in the Middle East. They also are all major oil exporters
that have experienced fast-paced growth in the labor population, and are heavily reliant
on migrant labor.
At the beginning of the oil era the majority of migrant laborers came from surrounding
Arab nations. The largest group was composed of Yemeni and Egyptian workers looking
for better economic opportunities in Saudi Arabia. The Gulf nations were also a destination
for Palestinians following the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 and the occupation of Palestine.
After the economic boom in 1973, the nations of the Persian Gulf were able to reach
levels of development that were unmatched in many other Arab nations. This development
resulted in a massive labor migration from Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Palestine,
and Syria. The religious, cultural, and linguistic similarities initially made Arab
labor more attractive than immigrants from other regions. However, the preference
for Arab workers has changed significantly in recent years for many political and
social reasons.
While the number of Arab laborers has decreased, migrant labor from South and Southeast
Asia to the GCC nations has surged. The majority of migrant laborers emigrating to
the GCC today are from South and Southeast Asia. Several factors make Asian laborers
preferable to Arab laborers.
Foreigners are now a significant part of the Gulf States’ population, ranging from
25% in Saudi Arabia to 66% in Kuwait, to over 90% in the UAE and Qatar. In those
foreign populations, there are now twice as many Asians as Arabs. All six nations
of the GCC receive immigrants from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Egypt. Four
of them also take laborers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The majority of the top
sending countries are South and Southeast Asian countries.
PROBLEM
Migrant laborers provide important services and support to the nations of the Persian
Gulf and have been able to earn more than they would in their native countries. They
have also boosted their home economies through substantial remittances. While the
existing system seems ideal for both the receiving countries of the GCC and the sending
countries, South/Southeast Asia migrant workers are often deceived and exploited by
sponsors and recruiters in the receiving and sending countries. Patterns of labor
exploitation in the Gulf are characterized by physical and emotional abuse, inadequate
wages, poor living conditions, and denial of freedom to travel or change jobs. The
recruitment agencies of the sending countries and the GCC’s current labor laws do
not favor the workers and have facilitated the continuation of these circumstances.
UNITED STATES-QATAR RELATIONS
The United States’ friendly relationship with Qatar allows ideas about migrant labor
reform to have a platform there. The country’s effort to align itself with the United
States can facilitate openness regarding migrant labor reform.
CRITERIA
The following set of criteria is used to evaluate the viable policy options.
• Effectiveness of these measures.
• Political feasibility.
• Contribute to interests central to U.S. foreign policy.
POLICY OPTIONS
1. Abolish the sponsorship system.
2. Create a government agency exclusively for overseeing migrant labor affairs.
3. Use bilateral engagement to reform the recruitment system.
4. Reform the current nationalization processes (GCC nation policy that replaces foreign
workers with GCC country citizens).
RECOMMENDATION
Reform the sponsorship system through liberalization of the current system and reform
the recruitment system through bilateral engagement between Qatar and other nations
that have large numbers of citizens working in Qatar.
Type
Master's projectDepartment
The Sanford School of Public PolicyPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5192Citation
Tillery, Kharmika (2012). Recommendations for Migrant Labor Reform in Qatar to Fulfill the U.S. Foreign Policy
Objective of Greater Respect for Human Rights In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Countries. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5192.More Info
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