42 Migrants of Bengali, Indian, Pakistani, Ethiopian, and Arab origins were arrested in the emirate of Sharjah this Monday. In a report by al-Bayan newspaper, Sharjah Police said the raids “target[ed] illegal jobs that defame the image of the emirate,” and that those arrested were detained for a variety of reasons, including undocumented status, absconding, or working as street vendors. These raids are now common practice throughout the Gulf, with governments justifying their intrusions on migrants rights as a security measure and to create jobs for nationals.
More recently, protecting the interests (monopolies) of telecom companies has been added to list of reasons for deportation; migrants selling 'illegal' cellphone credit have been targeted in raids, as they divert revenues from the large foreign population - who place international phone calls and often cannot afford telecom pricing. Saudi Arabia recently implemented similar seizures against telecommunication innovations this year, again largely targeting migrant workers.
