“Gulf States Treat Migrant Workforce as Disposable”

Migrant workers are playing an indispensable role in addressing extreme heat in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, yet these governments are failing to protect essential workers from dangers related to climate change, Human Rights Watch said on International Migrants Day on December 18, 2023.

Multiple studies and projections have indicated that the risks of extreme heat have escalated in the Gulf states in recent years due to climate change. While all workers in the Gulf face risks from extreme heat, migrant workers are overwhelmingly exposed to the most dangerous working conditions in the region.

Human Rights Watch interviewed six air conditioning repair technicians who serve a critical role in protecting Gulf residents from extreme heat…

Human Rights Watch has documented how migrant workers are critical to address climate risks yet they face serious abuses like extreme heat, wage theft, and exorbitant recruitment fees.

While the United Nations COP28 climate conference, held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), finally acknowledged the need to transition away from fossil fuels, it fell short of a clear and time-bound commitment to phase out fossil fuels as the main driver of the climate crisis. The climate crisis disproportionately further escalates the risks harms marginalized groups like migrant workers and their home communities…