Mohammad Abdullah Almamun, a 35-year-old Bangladeshi migrant worker who had worked in Saudi Arabia for 15 years, died after suffering severe burns when a missile struck his lodging on March 8. According to his family, in his last call Mamun vowed to pay the tuition of his younger siblings and to build a large house for his parents. His promise to return to his homeland this year and live with his six-year-old child was not kept, and he returned to his family as a lifeless body.

On the 5th (local time), the Associated Press reported that as the war between the United States and Iran drags on, migrant workers in Gulf countries, who are in an institutional blind spot, are suffering casualties.

According to the Gulf Migrant Workers Labor Justice Coalition, at least 24 migrant workers in Gulf countries have been killed in this war. In Israel, four migrant workers are also reported to have been killed. On the 4th, Iranian missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) attacks caused a fire at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) oil refinery, injuring three Indian workers.

As Iranian attacks head toward neighboring Gulf states, it is said that migrant workers are frequently restricted from accessing bomb shelters or are left out of emergency evacuation procedures. Because of language barriers and other issues, some had difficulty obtaining evacuation information in a crisis. A Bangladeshi worker in Qatar, speaking anonymously, told AP that he worked 12 hours a day even as missiles passed overhead, and that missile fragments also fell near his lodging.

In addition, because of the ‘kafala’ system, which requires employers to sponsor the residency status of migrant workers, freedom of movement can be curtailed even when they want to return home. Under this system, migrant workers must obtain permission from their employer to change jobs or leave the country.

Experts say that migrant workers from South Asia and Africa are particularly vulnerable, as they mainly work in low-wage occupations such as construction, domestic work, security, and cleaning. Problems such as violations of labor rights through workplace violence and wage arrears have been pointed out for years. This contrasts with migrant workers from Western or Arab countries, who are employed in the financial sector.

As war-driven economic slowdowns in Gulf countries hit key industries such as construction, job insecurity for migrant workers is expected to grow. Shariful Islam Hasan of BRAC, an international development organization based in Bangladesh, said, “In particular, workers from Bangladesh and Pakistan are vulnerable, as many are employed informally or work without formal contracts.”

For migrant workers from less developed countries, it is not easy to give up current income and decide to return home. Malen Florens, a Filipino worker in Qatar, said that her body trembles whenever a missile is intercepted, yet added, “It is not easy to say this, but I will stay here.”

Of the 62 million people living in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, about 35 million are reportedly migrant workers. In particular, in the UAE and Qatar, migrant workers account for 80 to 90% of the total population.

Some South Asian countries depend heavily on foreign currency sent home by Gulf migrant workers. Remittances from Gulf countries make up about 1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of India, and for Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka they account for 3 to 5% of GDP. In Nepal, foreign currency from Gulf countries reaches 10% of GDP.