Migration and Worker Fatalities Abroad

New book out by IMTFI researcher Ahsan Ullah

"In recent years, the alarming number of fatalities among migrant workers has stirred up much controversy. Most of the migrants were from countries in the Middle East and South East Asia, and their deaths were the results of unhealthy food habits, mental stress and dangerous working conditions. However, these fatalities are also due to flaws in the policies of the governments of both origin and destination. This book investigates acts of cruelty and abuse against migrant workers which were perpetrated by their employers. The authors argue that migrant workers are often powerless and unprotected by national laws, unearthing new truths on migrant workers as significant economic players.

Palgrave Macmillan Press

"The incidents of deaths of migrant workers in the recent years are raising serious questions about the security issues and living standards of migrant workers in host countries. However, there is scarcity of systematic research to look into this fact. There are contradicting opinion about the causes of death. The dead bodies carry a death certificate saying that cardiac arrest is the cause for the death while relatives receiving dead bodies at the airport found marks of torture at different parts of the body. In order to explore deeper into the phenomenon, we conducted a research in both destination and origin countries. This research confirms that the cause of their death is not merely cardiac arrest. This book recommends that the safety of the migrant workers should be ensured (from both sides) before migrants set off for the destination countries.

"In the last decade the number of deaths of migrant workers overseas has alarmingly increased. Complaints are many. Relatives receiving dead bodies at the airport found marks of torture at different parts of the body. These deaths are not natural ones. Most of the dead bodies arrived from Middle Eastern countries. Cardiologists generally claim acute tension caused by uncertainties of income and unhealthy working conditions and food habits may lead to deaths. This books delves into the fact the fact to answer why fatalities of migrant workers happen.

"This book captures events of cruelty and abuse towards the migrants workers perpetrated by their employers. This book records the level of their defenselessness and unearths a new truth about the migrant workers—significant economic players. This book is an effort to rekindle and strengthen hope for the potential migrants and their families, and to generate collective consciousness about the exploitation and dangerous working condition abroad. Scientists and researchers from all branches of social sciences and policy makers will benefit from this book."

See more on Ahsan's project: Unknown remittances of the migrants died abroad: A study on the recovery and dynamics of usage of remittances.