The formation of Nepalese migrant and diaspora communities in the Gulf cities of Doha and Dubai

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The poor working and living conditions and work-related deaths and injuries of migrantlabourers in the Gulf States came to the attention of the global media in the run up to Qatarholding the FIFA World Cup in December 2022. Such exploitation and its link to the Kafalasponsorship system has an undeniable impact on the lives of such migrants-a keycontributor to 'social suffering' (Bourdieu et al., 1999). Indeed, this has been thepredominant focus of much social science research focused on the experiences of migrantsfrom the Global South to the Gulf States (Bruslé, 2018; Sharma, 2018; Babar, 2014;Williams et. al., 2012). A less considered aspect of migrant experience in Gulf states hasbeen the social relationships and networks-both within the destination and transnationalsphere-that support and sustain the lives and livelihoods of these migrant workers. Theproposed research will build on the small body of research with South Asian migrants of theGulf that considers temporariness, belonging, and transnationalism among these populations(Vora, 2013; Babar, 2014). It offers an in depth examination of migrant lives through anethnographic study with Nepalese migrants living and working in Doha (Qatar) and Dubai(UAE). In particular it will consider the following research questions:(1) On what grounds are social groups formed within Nepalese migrant communitiesin Doha and Dubai?(2) To what extent are the social, ethnic and cultural hierarchies of the country oforigin reproduced within Nepalese migrant communities in these cities?(3) What are the socio-political implications of the transnational presence of theNepalese migrant communities and their experiences of belonging to their homeand host societies?