In May 2020, the Lede reported on the large number of workers stranded in the Gulf on expired visas. These workers face overstaying fines after their employers refuse to renew visas or they are unable to pay the cost of renewing visas themselves. Workers who are in the country on an expired visa are required to clear their fine before leaving the country. The Lede reports that workers who approached their embassies have been told that their embassies are unable to pay the overstaying fine and that they cannot therefore buy a ticket to leave the country.

During the Covid-19 crisis, some countries in the Gulf have declared amnesties for undocumented workers, to allow the increased numbers of laid-off migrant workers to leave the country without paying fines. However, these amnesties may not include workers whose visas expired months ago and weren't renewed by employers, before the Covid-19 crisis exacerbated the vulnerabilities and issues already impacting migrant workers.

One company that has been accused of not renewing visas is Muscat Bakery which employs hundreds of workers stranded in Oman. Workers haven't received salaries for months and visas expired months ago. In a video published in the Lede, one worker at Muscat Bakery reported that he had not been paid for 10 months, his visa expired five months ago and his embassy had stated that they could not afford to pay his overstaying fine. Other workers in the video state that they do not have money for food or medicines.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre contacted Muscat Bakery to invite them to respond to the allegations. The company replied that they had recently changed ownership and our concerns had been conveyed to the new owners and investors. Management provided us a statement in which they acknowledged unpaid wages for around 40 workers, due to company debt, and that the COVID-19 pandemic has "led the company to a complete standstill". The company denies the allegations regarding workers' inadequate access to food and medicines as false, and stated that they had also taken precautions against COVID-19. Muscat Bakery's statement can be read in full below.