Popular Pakistani qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan plays on Karachi’s airwaves as men offload sacks filled with cloth scraps from trucks and take them into warehouses. There, they’re separated by size and either taken back to factories or sold in markets as stuffing for cushions. But while the pay is paltry for all, men […]
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the state provides a great amount of cover for big construction companies and other companies hiring migrant workers. For instance, the UAE, along with other Gulf countries, use the “Kafala” system to keep track of their migrant labourers. This system gives private companies the authority to issue work visas […]
A story of some Migrant Labours, are alone on Eid days and were badly missing their Love ones in Dubai.
When 26-year-old Nasir Khan went to Saudi Arabia to work as a taxi driver, he found no shortage of customers. One day, however, when Khan picked up a passenger in Riyadh’s blistering heat, the customer refused to pay him. When Khan insisted on his money, the man stabbed him and fled.
In the Churu city of Rajasthan, India, a family of 10 is desperately worried. Six years ago, Yousuf Ali*, the third of eight siblings, took a loan to leave for Riyadh to work as part of Empower Contracting, a subsidiary of the construction business Saudi Binladen Group. The dream to support his family did not […]
The oil rich country with its luxurious lifestyle and cuisine from around the world is a perfect holiday destination. But beneath the glitz and glamour there’s a dark side as thousands of migrant laborers toil away, hidden, always under surveillance of local forces. The migrant workers often forego wages they are entitled to and don’t […]
Muhammad, wide-eyed and hopeful, joined millions of other migrants from Pakistan and India who arrived in the Gulf with dreams in their eyes, ready for the promise of an improved household economy. However, life in Dubai ended up being a disappointment. Muhammad would wake up at 4 am to work, and come back by 8 […]
Zhob had a very simple life we were 5 sisters and 4 brothers so I had 8 siblings My dad was doing labour in zhob as you know day by day expenses are compounding .I was in very cryptic sphere I used to get distraught whilst looking at my younger sibling that what will be […]
Ghulam Muhammad, 28, lives in Kot Radha Kishan outside of Lahore. Not long ago, he was sitting in his home thinking “If I can make it to Dubai, it can make a difference in my life. My younger siblings might become doctors or engineers.” He comes from a family of nine, with five brothers and […]
Migrant workers from Pakistan’s villages arrive in the oil rich country UAE with dreams of making good money to send home. They work tirelessly for a meagre salary which is often not paid on time. These migrant labourers struggle with depression and anxiety and the fear that their passports will be confiscated. They live difficult […]