Работники из Бихара не получают зарплату даже после возвращения из стран Персидского залива

Patna: A study by researchers at the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) has exposed a disturbing reality of international labour migration: for many Indian workers, exploitation in the Gulf does not end when they return home. Unpaid wages and withheld benefits continue to haunt migrant workers long after their employment in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has ended, the study says. The study, ‘Wage theft and post-return due recovery among Indian migrants from GCC region’, by Firdaus Fatima Rizvi of CUSB’s department of economic studies and policy and research scholar Vikram of the department of development studies, is based on field evidence from 385 return migrant workers in Siwan district, a major migration hub in Bihar . The study found widespread instances of wage theft and unfair treatment by employers in GCC countries. “Wage theft” includes non-payment or withholding of salaries, unlawful deductions and denial of employment benefits. For workers who return to villages in Bihar, recovering such dues can become extremely difficult, particularly after losing direct access to institutions and legal mechanisms in the destination country. Bihar remains one of India’s major labour-sending states with limited employment opportunities, low industrialisation and persistent developmental challenges pushing workers towards Gulf countries. The researchers warn that merely educating migrants about their rights will not be enough. Structural inequalities persist when employers control wages and employment conditions, while workers are left without effective institutional support after returning home. The study calls for mandatory electronic wage-payment systems, stronger employer accountability, preventive enforcement mechanisms, institutional responsibility and cross-border cooperation to protect migrant workers and ensure recovery of their unpaid dues.