Abstract
The spread of Covid-19 in Qatar and the pandemic-led economic slump in the country have substantial financial implications for Sri Lankan migrant workers in Qatar and the Sri Lankan economy as a whole, as Qatar has been one of the primary destinations among Sri Lankan migrants in recent years. Based on 12 in-depth interviews and an online survey of 101 Sri Lankan workers in Qatar, this paper assesses the pandemic’s financial implications on three groups of Sri Lankan migrants; the highly-skilled, skilled and semi-skilled. Using a mixed-method analysis, the paper identifies that pay-cuts have been the most common financial issue across all skill levels, with nearly half of respondents reporting deductions from their salaries. The research also identifies that while all three groups of migrants have used various coping mechanisms to mitigate the pandemic’s financial impact, highly-skilled migrants have been more successful in weathering the storm than others due to their accumulated savings. Though compared to the early months of the pandemic, the financial stability of most Sri Lankans in Qatar had improved by September 2020 with the easing of restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19, it might not necessarily transfer into stability in remittances to Sri Lanka, as an increasing number of Sri Lankan migrant workers in Qatar are considering a permanent return home.
Highlights
As the Gulf War of 1990, the global financial crisis in the late 2000s, floods in Thailand in 2011 and numerous other natural and human-made crises indicate, at times of crises in host countries, migrant workers tend to be disproportionately affected compared to native-born workers and face extreme hardships
Financial impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the Sri Lankan migrants in Qatar Through in-depth interviews and survey data we found that layoffs and pay cuts and Qatar’s overall economic decline due to the pandemic affected a significant percentage of Sri Lankan migrants in the country
In-depth interviews revealed that even though pay cuts were considered a significant financial burden by Sri Lankan migrant workers as most of them had migrated to Qatar mainly because of the attractive remuneration packages the country offer, most of them considered reduced pay acceptable due to the volatile economic conditions in Qatar posed by the pandemic
Summary
As the Gulf War of 1990, the global financial crisis in the late 2000s, floods in Thailand in 2011 and numerous other natural and human-made crises indicate, at times of crises in host countries, migrant workers tend to be disproportionately affected compared to native-born workers and face extreme hardships Among other factors, their limited understanding of local languages, lack of support and resources received, discriminatory policies implemented to protect native workers, and in the case of irregular migrants, issues pertaining to their legal status in the host countries make them vulnerable at times of strife and disasters in their host nations (Alessandra Bravi et al, 2017; Hendow, 2020; Weeraratna, 2020). While the GCC countries implemented stimulus packages to help their populations affected by the pandemic, most of these have been geared towards benefiting only citizens and local businesses, and migrant workers have been given limited financial support (Equidem, 2020). These migrants and their families that depend on the remittances they send home have been severely affected by the pandemic
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