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Migrant workers in Gulf caught in crossfire of regional conflict
Norma Tactacon, a 49-year-old domestic worker from the Philippines, spends her nights in Qatar praying for safety as air-raid sirens pierce the air. Thousands of miles from her husband and three children, she fears for her life amid the escalating tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.
The human cost of conflict
Tactacon is one of millions of migrant workers in the Middle East whose livelihoods-and dreams-are now at risk. She had hoped her earnings would fund her son's police academy graduation and her daughters' nursing careers, pathways to better opportunities abroad. Instead, she now questions whether she should return home to start a small business with her husband.
"I get scared every time I see missiles in the air," she told the BBC. "I need to be alive for my family. I'm all they have."
Rising casualties among migrant workers
The conflict has already claimed lives. Mary Ann Veolasquez, a 32-year-old Filipina caregiver in Israel, was injured when a ballistic missile struck her Tel Aviv apartment as she guided her patient to safety. The Israeli embassy in Manila confirmed the incident.
Dibas Shrestha, a 29-year-old Nepali security guard in Abu Dhabi, died in an Iranian strike on March 1. His uncle, Ramesh, revealed Shrestha had dismissed warnings to return home, believing the news exaggerated the danger. "He was saving to rebuild his parents' home after the 2015 earthquake," Ramesh said. "He was their only son-kind and smart."
Ahmad Ali, a 55-year-old Bangladeshi water tank supplier in Dubai, was killed by debris from an intercepted missile during Ramadan. His son, Abdul Haque, said his father, who sent home $500-$600 monthly, was unaware of the war. "He didn't read the news," Abdul said. "Now, Dubai doesn't feel safe."
Economic lifelines at risk
The Middle East hosts 24 million migrant workers, the largest concentration globally, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Most come from Asia-India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia-filling low-paid, precarious jobs with limited access to healthcare.
For the Philippines, remittances from its 2 million overseas workers-half in the Middle East-account for 10% of the economy. Bangladesh relies similarly on its 14 million migrant workers, primarily in the Gulf. Since the conflict began, nearly 2,000 Filipinos and 500 Bangladeshis have been repatriated, with governments arranging emergency flights.
Evacuations and impossible choices
Travel disruptions have forced workers to take circuitous routes home. A recent repatriation flight saw 234 Filipinos from Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain travel up to eight hours by land to Saudi Arabia to board a Philippine Airlines flight. Others, like Su Su from Myanmar, remain trapped. A 31-year-old real estate operations specialist in Dubai, she fled Myanmar's civil war only to face new dangers.
"I have an emergency bag ready in case I need to evacuate. It's a habit from Myanmar," she said. "But Dubai feels calmer. I believe we'll be fine."
Salaries vs. safety
For workers like Tactacon, the $500 monthly wage-four to five times what she'd earn in the Philippines-keeps her in the Gulf despite the risks. "I hope the world becomes peaceful again," she said. "I pray the war stops."
Yet as strikes intensify, the region's migrant workforce faces an impossible choice: endure the danger for financial survival or return home empty-handed.
