Family Chains: Kinship as a Mechanism of Labour Exploitation Among Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in Manufacturing and Labour-Intensive Sectors

Abdelaziz Abdalla Alowais () and Abubakr Suliman
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Abdelaziz Abdalla Alowais: Department of Statistics and Community Development, Government of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Abubakr Suliman: Department of Business Management, The British University in Dubai, Dubai 345015, United Arab Emirates

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the role of kinship-based control, which serves as a mechanism of labour exploitation among Bangladeshi migrant workers in manufacturing and labour-intensive sectors in the Northern Emirates. The current study explores different case studies regarding participants dominated by familial control mechanisms that lead to Bangladeshi migrant workers finding themselves in vulnerable situations. This study incorporated an ethnographic research method. Data was gathered through participant observation, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. The study includes different participant cases, including accounts from Bangladeshi migrant workers and their family members. In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of twelve participants to understand the experiences of Bangladeshi migrant workers and analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings of this study reveal six major themes: moral blackmail, isolation within the family, moral obligation and silence, familial control structures, abuse framed as duty, and informal hierarchies. This study shows that the existing labour mechanism is challenging for Bangladeshi workers, requiring strict attention from the host country to address challenges related to cultural obligations, the minimum wage, restricted movement, and harsh working conditions. It is implied that Bangladesh must make policy changes to create protective migration policies, establish worker independence, and provide pre-departure welfare programmes. Educational programmes developed by NGOs and public officials must include widespread awareness initiatives to heighten the focus on migrants and their family members and break unsustainable cultural standards. The novel aspect of this study lies in the fact that it explores family-based labour exploitation, which is rarely studied in migration research.

Keywords: return migration; labour migration; Bangladeshi migrant workers; labour market; exploitation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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