100,297 Kerala expats left Bahrain during pandemic | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

100,297 Kerala expats left Bahrain during pandemic | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Over 100,000 expatriates from the South Indian state of kerala left Bahrain during the pandemic period, according to a study conducted by a leading economist. The study titled ‘Covid-19 Pandemic and Exodus of Keralite Migrant Workers from the Gulf’ conducted by leading Indian economist and social scientist Dr B A Prakash focused on return emigration in Kerala. Among 1,471,000 returnees from Gulf countries, majority were from Saudi Arabia (50 per cent), followed by the UAE (19pc), Qatar (11pc), Oman and Bahrain (7pc) and Kuwait (6pc). The economist pointed out that the loss of income and fall in consumption and other expenditure of the families resulted in a recession in the local economy. “Most of the sample returnees (54pc) who returned on leave could not return due to COVID-19 disruptions. Of the total returnees from Saudi Arabia, 58pc returned on leave but stranded in Kerala,” the study says. “Majority of the sample returnees from Oman, Kuwait and Qatar came on leave but were not able to return. Nearly one-third of sample returnees lost their jobs due to the closure of companies and business units. “Most of the returnees had worked in the Gulf countries for more than ten years and they