Expats a threat to GCC identity: Dubai official
Gulf in the media -
Dubai's Police Chief yesterday agreed to a suggestion that if the population of expatriate workers continued to rise in the GCC at the current pace, the day is not far when its citizens would be marginalised and become like Red Indians in the US.
"Yes, the possibility of GCC nationals turning into a minority in their own countries cannot be ruled out if a law is, for instance, enforced making expatriates naturalised citizens," said Lieutenant-Colonel Dahi Khalfan last night.
He was responding to questions from the audience at the popular monthly call-in programme of Qatar Television titled 'Laqum Al Qarar' (The Decision is Yours).
The audience comprised mostly young citizens—both men and women—from across the Gulf, including Oman , UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain . Qatari participants were, though, in the majority.
The topic of the discussion was 'Whether the rising numbers of foreign workers posed a serious threat to the GCC identity and culture' and if so, what steps the governments in the region could take to reduce the 'danger'.
If the GCC governments do not take 'bold steps' to check the inflow of foreign workforce, a day could come when locals would be marginalised in their own countries and become like Red Indians in the US, he said.
Citing examples, he said look at the 'Malabaris' (a reference to Indians from Kerala) and Iranians who come here and run small neighbourhood stores and eventually become millionaires.
"Why can't we run these stores which, after all, we legally own? But we are shy of doing such work," he said in a veiled criticism of his own people and their 'snobbish' attitude.
An Indian driver is hired by a GCC household and then he manages to bring a relative even if there is no job for him. The relative hunts for a job and lands one. This is an unending chain, hinted Khalfan. He said the ministers should bring to the notice of the GCC rulers the rising threat the heavy influx of foreign workers poses to GCC identity and culture.
Asked if the problem could be tackled to some extent if more workers were brought from sister Arab countries, Khalfan quipped: "I do agree that they (Arab expatriates) are better than non-Arabs."
In this regard, he said Asian workers (a reference to non-Arabs) were the ones who have raised the issue of human rights in the GCC. The anchor of the programme called Hassan Al Mohannadi of Qatar 's Permanent Population Committee and wanted to know the adverse impact of the rising inflow of foreign workers. Al Mohannadi said increasing incidence of crime, perversion, behavioural disorders and diseases were the major fallout.
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