Fact:

Migrant workers from different parts of the world are continuously flocking to the UAE with the expectation of finding numerous opportunities and better salaries. And this rings true in cases if you are an engineer or a financial consultant. If you are a lower income worker, the picture is not so rosy, as it is mostly this sector of the labor market that bears the burden of archaic labor laws. In the forefront, this is manifest in the prohibition of trade unions and strikes- UAE penal code can even enforce punishment on workers, who in as little in number as three refrain from coming to work. On a more mundane basis, this translates to inhumane working conditions and of suicidal tendencies among workers.

Coming from lower income countries in Africa and South East Asia, migrant workers are lured by the luxurious image of the Arab Emirates. Much like migrant workers who move to Lebanon, these laborers usually arrive with the burden of debt to the recruitment agency that charges unrealistic amounts for visa processes and travel expenses. Deceived by the salaries they are promised, paying off these debts seems feasible upon the first few months of work. Sooner or later, many find out that their jobs actually pay a lot less than they were advertised for. Low incomes trap workers in between trying to pay debts, and trying to send money back home to their families.

Though in effect prohibited by the government, the confiscation of passports is still commonplace. Therefore many are unable to leave and are obliged to stay and work, especially since they cannot afford tickets to go back home. The result is exceptionally long labor hours and appalling work conditions such as physically straining construction work in the desert heat, or exploitation as a domestic worker. Apart from the work stress, laborers are made to live in overcrowded camps out in the desert and away from the bright lights of the cities.

With not many options for relief, a trend of suicide has emerged among Southeast Asian workers in the Gulf. The Indian consulate in Dubai has explained that on average 2 Indian migrant workers commit suicide weekly. Most memorable is the story of the Indian worker who jumped off the 147th floor of Borj Khalifa in May 2011. Are Gulf countries really providing improved work conditions? In that regard, do they even stand out from other developing nations at all?