Over 37,000 Indian Workers Died Abroad in Last 5 Years; Gulf Nations Under Scrutiny

A chilling report tabled by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Rajya Sabha has sent shockwaves through the nation, revealing that 37,740 Indian workers died on foreign soil between 2021 and 2025. The data, presented by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, paints a grim picture of the safety and health conditions faced by the Indian diaspora, suggesting that, on average, 20 Indian workers lose their lives every single day while seeking a better livelihood abroad.

The Gulf region remains the most perilous corridor for Indian labor, accounting for a staggering 86% of all recorded fatalities. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) sits at the top of this tragic list with 12,380 deaths, followed closely by Saudi Arabia with 11,757. Other nations with significant casualty figures include Kuwait (3,890), Oman (2,821), and Qatar (1,760). While the report does not categorize every death by specific cause, experts point toward a combination of grueling labor conditions, extreme climatic heat, and a lack of adequate healthcare access for blue-collar workers.

Beyond the fatalities, the report highlights a burgeoning crisis of labor rights. Indian embassies have received over 80,985 complaints from citizens abroad during this period. These range from non-payment of wages and domestic abuse to the illegal confiscation of passports by employers. The UAE again leads in grievances with 16,965 complaints, followed by Malaysia and the Maldives.

The surge in deaths in 2024 and 2025 (averaging over 7,700 annually) suggests that the post-pandemic recovery has seen a rush of migration without a corresponding strengthening of safety protocols. Human rights activists are now calling on the Indian government to renegotiate bilateral labor agreements, particularly with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, to ensure mandatory health insurance and stricter workplace inspections for the millions of Indians who serve as the backbone of the Middle Eastern economy.