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INDIAN MIGRANT WORKERS IN WEST ASIA Report on a survey of Emigrant workers in UAE and Kuwait (FINAL REPORT) B.A. Prakash Professor, RGIDS RAJIV GANDHI INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (RGIDS) THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – 695 010 July 2014 Indian Migrant Workers in West Asia Page 1 Preface The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India, has granted financial assistance to set up a Research Programme on International Migration at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies (RGIDS), Thiruvananthapuram. The objective is to conduct research relating to various issues and problems of emigration from Kerala as well as India, to organise discussions with emigrants and return emigrants and suggest measures to improve their socio'economic conditions. As part of the Research Programme, RGIDS has conducted a study on return emigration from the West Asia and published its first report during 2013. During the second year, RGIDS conducted a research study on Indian Migrant Workers in UAE and Kuwait and prepared this report. The study has examined the profile of Indian emigrants, employment, wages and working conditions, expenditure, savings and remittances and problems of emigrants in UAE and Kuwait. For collecting primary data, we have conducted a sample survey of 200 Indian emigrant workers in UAE and 165 persons in Kuwait. The study gives an overall situation about the issues and problems of Indian emigrant workers in UAE and Kuwait. Based on the findings of the study, we have given a few recommendations. This research project has been undertaken by Prof. B.A. Prakash, Project Director of the Programme. We are grateful to Shri. Vayalar Ravi, Hon. Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India, for helping us to start the Research Programme. We have also benefited much from the suggestions of Shri.Parvez Dewan, Secretary; Shri. Atul Kumar Tiwari, Joint Secretary and Shri. Shiv Ratan, Director, MOIA on the Research Programme. I am thankful to Shri. R.Buhril, Protector General of Emigrants and Chairman of the Advisory Committee and its members for their advice and suggestions relating to the Research Programme. The Research team has benefited much from the discussions with Shri.Anand Bardhan, Counsellor, Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and Shri.Sanjay Verma, Consul General of India, Dubai. Dr. Manoj Pushkar, Hon. President of Abu Dhabi Malayalee Samajam and Adv. Y.A.Rahim, President of Indian Association, Sharjah have provided assistance to the research team in UAE. Shri. Varghese Puthukulangara, Executive member of Overseas Indian Cultural Congress has provided assistance for the research team in Kuwait. Shri. Hidur Muhammed, Director, RGIDS has given overall guidance for the research project. Administrative support for the study was provided by Shri. N. Niyathi, Registrar and Shri. G. Rajendran Nair, Secretary. Shri.Mohnanakumar S.M., and Shri.Biju Sundar both Research Associates, have provided the research assistance and Smt.Sheeba Jacob, secretarial assistance. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of them. Ramesh Chennithala Chairman Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies Indian Migrant Workers in West Asia Page 2 Contents Preface List of Tables Executive Summary Chapter 1 Introduction 16 Chapter 2 Labour Market Situation of Migrant Workers in UAE 30 Chapter 3 Employment, Wages, Working Conditions and Problems of 57 Indian Emigrants in UAE: Findings of the Survey Chapter 4 Labour Market Situation of Migrant Workers In Kuwait 84 Chapter 5 Employment, Wages, Working Conditions and Problems of 106 Indian Emigrants in Kuwait : Findings of the Survey Chapter 6 Conclusions and Recommendations 130 Appendix I Interview Schedule 137 II Bibliography 142 Indian Migrant Workers in West Asia Page 3 List of Tables Page Table TITLE No. Table 2.1 AREA AND POPULATION 30 Table 2.2 GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF UAE 33 Table 2.3 UAE GDP DISTRIBUTION BY EMIRATE 34 Table 2.4 FOREIGN TRADE 35 Table 2.5 SECTORAL CONTRIBUTION TO GDP (%) 2005'2009 35 UAE POPULATION BY SEX AND NATIONALITY, 1975'2010 (IN Table 2.6 37 THOUSANDS) Table 2. 7 NATIONALITY'WISE POPULATION IN UAE 'ESTIMATES 2006 38 Table 2.8 ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE POPULATION (2008) IN THOUSANDS 39 Table 2.9 EMPLOYMENT SECTOR–WISE (2009) 40 Table 2.10 REMITTANCES OF NON'NATIONALS IN UAE BETWEEN THE YEARS 44 1975'2004 DISTRCT'WISE DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN Table 3.1 57 UAE Table 3.2 RELIGION'WISE DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN 58 UAE Table 3.3 AGE'WISE DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN UAE 58 Table 3.4 MARITAL STATUS OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN UAE 59 Table 3.5 EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN UAE 59 Table 3.6 YEAR OF ARRIVAL IN UAE 60 Table 3.7 NUMBER OF YEARS WORKED IN UAE 60 Table 3.8 OCCUPATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS 61 Table 3.9 CATEGORY OF JOBS 63 Table 3.10 NATURE OF JOB 63 Table 3.11 CATEGORY OF EMPLOYER 64 Table 3.12 NATURE OF WORK PLACE 64 Table 3.13 AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS EMPLOYED PER MONTH 64 WAGE STRUCTURE OF INDIAN EMIGRANT WORKERS IN UAE IN Table 3.14 65 2013 Table 3.15 NUMBER OF MONTHS EMPLOYED DURING LAST 12 MONTHS 66 Table 3.16 NUMBER OF EMIGRANT WORKERS TO GET ARREAR SALARY 66 Table 3.17 NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED PER DAY 67 Table 3.18 NUMBER OF WORKERS GETTING NON–WAGE BENEFITS 68 Table 3.19 NUMBER GETING AIR TICKET TO RETURN HOME DURING VACATION 68 Table 3.20 NUMBER LIVING WITH FAMILY 69 Table 3.21 TOTAL MONTHLY EXPENDITURE OF PERSONS LIVING ALONE 69 Table 3.22 TOTAL MONTHLY SAVINGS OF PERSONS LIVING ALONE 70 Table 3.23 MONTHLY REMITTANCES BY MIGRANTS LIVING ALONE 70 Indian Migrant Workers in West Asia Page 4 Table 3.24 MONTHLY EXPENDITURE OF EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 71 Table 3.25 TOTAL MONTHLY SAVINGS OF EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 72 Table 3.26 MONTHLY REMITTANCE BY EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 72 Table 3.27 MODE OF REMITTANCE 73 Table 3.28 THE EMPLOYER GIVES PRIORITY TO NATIVE WORKERS 74 Table 3.29 WAGE DIFFERENCE FOR NATIVE AND FOREIGN WORKERS 74 Table 3.30 PASSPORT KEPT BY THE EMPLOYER 75 Table 3.31 CHANGE IN WORK CONTRACT 75 Table 3.32 RESTRICTION IN BRINGING FAMILY WITH THEM 76 Table 3.33 DECLINE IN EMPLOYMENT SINCE GLOBAL CRISIS OF 2008 77 Table 3.34 CATEGORIES OF WORKERS WHICH WITNESSED DECLINE 77 Table 3.35 EMPLOYMENT STABILITY IN NEAR FUTURE 78 Table 3.36 PLACE OF STAY OF EMIGRANTS 78 Table 3.37 PLACE OF STAY OF EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 78 Table 3.38 REPORTED NUMBER OF CHILDREN STUDYING IN UAE 79 Table 3.39 NUMBER REPORTED SICKNESS OF FAMILY MEMBERS 79 Table 3.40 PLACE OF MEDICAL TREATMENT 80 Table 3.41 MODE OF TRAVEL TO THE WORK PLACE 80 Table 3.42 PROBLEMS FACED BY EMIGRANTS 80 Table 4.1 AREA AND POPULATION 84 Table 4.2 KUWAIT MAIN ECONOMIC INDICATOR 86 Table 4.3 KUWAIT NON'OIL COMPONENTS OF GDP AT CURRENT PRICES 87 Table 4.4 KUWAIT BALANCE OF PAYMENTS SUMMARY 89 TABLE 4.5 KUWAIT TRADE BALANCE 89 Table 4.6 GROWTH RATE BETWEEN CENSUS YEARS BY NATIONALITY 90 PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION BY EDUCATIONAL Table 4.7 90 STATUS (10 YEARS+) Table 4.8 TOTAL FOREIGN RESIDENT POPULATION BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN 91 AND MIGRATION STATUS Table 4.9 INDIAN EMIGRANTS IN KUWAIT 2012 91 Table 4.10 LABOUR FORCE BY NATIONALITY AND GENDER 93 Table 4.11 LABOUR FORCE (15+) AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION BY MAJOR 94 GROUPS OF OCCUPATIONS DISTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYERS BY ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND Table 4.12 95 NATIONALITY 2005 '11 Table 4.13 REMITTANCES 96 DISTRCT'WISE DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN Table 5.1 107 KUWAIT RELIGION'WISE DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN Table 5.2 107 KUWAIT AGE'WISE DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN Table 5.3 107 KUWAIT Indian Migrant Workers in West Asia Page 5 Table 5.4 MARITAL STATUS OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN KUWAIT 108 Table 5.5 EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS IN KUWAIT 108 Table 5.6 YEAR OF ARRIVAL IN KUWAIT 109 Table 5.7 NUMBER OF YEARS WORKED IN KUWAIT 109 Table 5.8 OCCUPATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE EMIGRANT WORKERS 110 Table 5.9 CATEGORY OF JOBS 111 Table 5.10 NATURE OF JOB 111 Table 5.11 CATEGORY OF EMPLOYER 111 Table 5.12 NATURE OF WORK PLACE 112 Table 5.13 AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS EMPLOYED PER MONTH 113 Table 5.14 WAGE STRUCTURE OF INDIAN EMIGRANT WORKERS IN KUWAIT IN 2013 114 Table 5.15 NUMBER OF MONTHS EMPLOYED DURING LAST 12 MONTHS 114 Table 5.16 NUMBER OF EMIGRANT WORKERS TO GET ARREAR SALARY 115 Table 5.17 NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED PER DAY 115 Table 5.18 NUMBER OF WORKERS GETTING NON–WAGE BENEFITS 116 NUMBER GETTING FREE AIR TICKET TO RETURN HOME DURING Table 5.19 116 VACATION Table 5.20 NUMBER LIVING WITH FAMILY 117 Table 5.21 TOTAL MONTHLY EXPENDITURE OF PERSONS LIVING ALONE 117 Table 5.22 TOTAL MONTHLY SAVINGS OF PERSONS LIVING ALONE 118 Table 5.23 MONTHLY REMITTANCES BY MIGRANTS LIVING ALONE 119 Table 5.24 MONTHLY EXPENDITURE OF EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 119 Table 5.25 TOTAL MONTHLY SAVINGS OF EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 120 Table 5.26 MONTHLY REMITTANCES BY EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 120 Table 5.27 MODE OF REMITTANCE 121 Table 5.28 NUMBER REPORTED THAT THE EMPLOYER GIVES PRIORITY TO 122 NATIVE WORKERS Table 5.29 WAGE DIFFERENCE FOR NATIVE AND FOREIGN WORKERS 122 Table 5.30 PASSPORTS KEPT BY THE EMPLOYER 122 Table 5.31 CHANGE IN WORK CONTRACT 123 Table 5.32 RESTRICTIONS IN BRINGING FAMILY WITH THEM 123 Table 5.33 DECLINE IN EMPLOYMENT SINCE GLOBAL CRISIS OF 2008 124 Table 5.34 CATEGORIES OF WORKERS WHICH WITNESSED DECLINE 124 Table 5.35 EMPLOYMENT STABILITY FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS 125 Table 5.36 PLACE OF STAY OF EMIGRANTS 125 Table 5.37 PLACE OF STAY OF EMIGRANTS LIVING WITH FAMILY 125 Table 5.38 CHILDREN STUDIYING IN KUWAIT 125 Table 5.39 MODE OF TRAVEL TO THE WORKPLACE 126 Table 5.40 NUMBER REPORTED SICKNESS OF FAMILY MEMBERS 126 Table 5.41 PLACE OF MEDICAL TREATMENT 127 Indian Migrant Workers in West Asia Page 6 Executive Summary Objectives and Sources of data • The study has examined the profile of Indian emigrants, employment, wages and working conditions, expenditure, savings and remittances, immigration policies pursued and problems of emigrants in UAE and Kuwait.