Migrant workers have been left stranded in unsafe conditions across the MENA region as Iran retaliates against US-Israeli strikes.

Millions of migrant workers are at risk in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, where Southeast and South Asian workers make up a significant proportion of the workforce. Migrant workers have reportedly already been wounded and have died in the escalating conflict - almost all those who have died in the Gulf have been migrants.

Origin country governments are allegedly ‘monitoring the location of their citizens’ and directing them to shelter in place. However, many workers report that they continue to be deployed at work, including restaurant, logistics, retail, care and delivery workers, according to reporting by RFI, The Guardian, and Middle East Eye, among other outlets. Migrants allegedly continue to work without 'support...instruction....[or] choice', according to Middle East Eye.

Many workers are stranded in the region after commercial flights were halted; and workers also report reduced income and work, with harmful financial impacts as rent and food costs increase. An article in The Guardian also highlights that migrant workers employed by defence contractor V2X feel unable to leave the country due to the Kafala system (The Guardian reached out to V2X for comment – it did not respond the time of the article’s publication). GMA News Online reports that some Filipino workers have been repatriated from across the MENA region.

Seafarers also face mounting risks. The Strait of Hormuz has now been classified as a 'high-risk' area, enabling Filipino seafarers to have the right to refuse sailing a vessel through the strait. Workers report being trapped onboard vessels in the conflict while companies do not listen to their calls for rescue.

On March 9th, the Coalition on Labor Justice for Migrants in the Gulf published a statement, calling for solidarity with migrant workers across the conflict zone. The statement emphasises the extreme risks these workers face in the escalating war, including:

• A lack of access to information, shelters, and/or evacuation channels.
• Restricted freedom of movement due to the continued use of the Kafala system in the region, wherein workers are tied to a specific employer and may become trapped in conflict zones.
• Significant economic impacts, as employers may use the conflict as a pretext for wage theft, the denial of leave, and arbitrary dismissal.

The statement calls on employers, governments, and international organizations to act 'immediately' to safeguard the rights of migrant workers in all countries affected by the conflict, including ensuring migrants are paid their wages in full, and have equal access to emergency protection, freedom of association, and access to safe repatriation, among other protections. The statement also calls for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of the conflict, and for respect for international humanitarian and human rights law.

In April 2026, the human rights organization Equidem released a 'rapid investigation' documenting the impacts of the crisis on migrant workers' safety, livelihoods and well-being. The investigation is based on findings from 'conversations with 44 migrant workers' across six Gulf countries. It calls for urgent action from employers, governments, and embassies to ensure the rights of migrants in the region are safeguarded.