Citizenship And Residency Status Of Indian Migrant Workers In Contemporary Gulf States: A Study Of Bahrain, Kuwait And Oman
Keywords:
Indian migrant workers, Gulf States, citizenship rights, residency permits, temporary labor migration, Bahrain, Kuwait, OmanAbstract
Indian migrant workers in Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman are contract temporary workers. Millions of migrant workers live in these countries. There is essentially no route to permanent citizenship for Indian migrant workers in these states, who are classified as temporary or guest workers. Indian migrant workers in Gulf State do not generally become citizens. They have not granted citizenship but they are granted residency. The majority of Indian immigrant workers in the Gulf States did not possess intentions of establishing permanent residency therein. Indian migrant workers in the Gulf States function primarily as temporary contractual workers. They are ineligible for citizenship rights. The offspring of these migrant workers are not accorded citizenship, regardless of their place of birth within the Gulf States. They are not afforded any special privileges or immigration status. However, in certain exceptional circumstances, the Gulf States have conferred citizenship upon select Indian individuals. Citizenship has been extended to a specific cohort of Indian nationals. This paper analyzes the legal status of Indian migrant laborers in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman, with an emphasis on citizenship rights and residency permits.
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