The CGS Hosts "A Portrait of Low Income Migrants in Qatar"

The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) hosted a public lecture entitled "A Portrait of Low Income Migrants in Qatar: New Data from a Large-Scale Survey." by Dr. Andrew M. Gardner, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Puget Sound.

In his talk, Dr. Gardner outlined the details of his comprehensive study (funded by the Qatar National Research Fund as part of the National Priorities Research Program) on migrant, low-income laborers (classified as workers earning 2000 Qatari Riyals or less per month), the purpose of the study, and its initial findings. The study conducted used a sample of 1,189 low-income migrants. They were interviewed about a range of aspects concerning their national and cultural backgrounds, their employment, their housing, and their treatment.

The results of the survey revealed that 90 percent of migrant workers had their passports confiscated by their sponsors upon their arrival to Qatar. The low-income laborers all had to pay for their work visas to be able to work in Qatar, with an average cost of the visa amounting to $1031 USD. Other key findings were that 21 percent of those surveyed claimed they received their salaries either sometimes, rarely, or never on time. The results also suggested that small but significant percentages of the population reported having insufficient supplies of water, power, or air-conditioning.

One key purpose of the study was to analyze trends between the nationalities and religions of the low-income migrants and their overall treatment under employment in Qatar. The findings showed 'Arab' low-income migrants earned slightly higher wages, worked less hours, and shared their living spaces with fewer people than their 'South Asian' counterparts. Dr. Gardner explained that this correlation could possibly be attributed to similarities in culture and language.

The study revealed an inconsistent process of applying for visas outside of Qatar, allowing for exploitation and misinformation to occur. The study also revealed areas where there is room for improvement, specifically in the treatment of the migrant workers, and the respect of their basic human rights, as is the case with the confiscation of their passports.

The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait aims to promote greater cultural understanding of and increased intellectual interest in the Gulf, by facilitating free and open academic discourse on a range of issues that both shape and challenge this critical region of the world. The goal of CGS is to enable scholars as well as political and civil society actors both within and outside the region to contribute and add value to the burgeoning field of Gulf Studies, while at the same time informing and engaging the general public. To this end, the CGS encourages, supports, and cultivates interesting and original research on the Gulf, while regularly organizing a variety of public academic events such as lectures, roundtable discussions, and conferences.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 7th February 2013