The majority minority: the marginalisation of migrant workers in the GCC
This session examined the status of non-citizens in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, where migrants form between 50% and 90% of the population. It reviewed the historical roots of exclusions, the employer-tied visa regime (known as the kafala system), and various rights and privileges segmented by citizenship status. Speakers examined the differential effect of these systemic exclusions based on class, occupation, gender, and country of origin.
Migrant-rights.org facilitated this three-person panel discussion and Q&A with migrants who currently or previously resided in the Gulf. The session aimed to build knowledge on the situation of non-citizens in the Gulf, to shed light on existing efforts to contest their marginalisation and to develop strategies for building an inclusive movement in severely repressive political environments.
Speakers
ldah Muli (Aidah Kalash) from Nairobi, Kenya, is a survivor of human trafficking who escaped from Bahrain and is now an advocate for human and labour rights, with a focus on trafficking.
Yousef H. Alshammari is the co-founder and chairman of the Integrated Community Center, a Kuwaiti nonprofit organisation focused on migrant labour rights and the many spheres with which they intersect. He is also an award-winning journalist and writer, often covering stories on politics and culture.
Sana Quadri is an independent writer and researcher on GCC and South Asian affairs, born, raised and currently based in Dubai. Her geopolitical analysis has featured in several online publications including premier Washington-based think tanks such as the Stimson Institute and Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Sana holds an MA in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Exeter and in her free time likes to improvise on her photography and read Urdu poetry.
Teresita Diego is the vice chairperson of the General Domestic Workers Union in Bahrain. She has been working as a domestic worker in Bahrain for one year.
Cristine Nisperos is a migrant worker rights advocate who has been based in Bahrain since 2009. She is the secretary and officer in charge of Sandigan Bahrain.
Ali Mohamed (facilitator) is the Arabic content editor for Migrant-Rights.org. Based in Bahrain, he researches and writes about issues related to migrant rights in the Gulf and is involved in on-ground support and advocacy for migrants.