Advocacy groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say they are worried for the health and safety of foreign migrants working in construction, the service sector and managerial positions in the oil-rich Gulf region. So far, Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have reported more that 3,300 coronavirus cases. Gulf migrant researcher Hiba Zayadin at Human Rights Watch tells VOA that cramped accommodations and inadequate sanitation facilities are endangering migrants in the Gulf region who may also lack access to health care. Zayadin says Human Rights Watch is urging Gulf governments to find safe housing alternatives. Migrant workers in the Gulf, she says, are disadvantaged under a labor sponsorship system that gives employers excessive powers over migrant workers, which can foster abuse and exploitation.

Source: Ethiopian News April 01, 2020 02:26 UTC