Migrant workers in Israel are caught in a debt trap amid conflict

Migrant workers in Israel are caught in a debt trap because of the high recruitment fees that they had to pay for their jobs in the country. Migrant workers are unable to leave Israel and return home to their families because of the high debt.

At least 50 migrant workers have already lost their lives because of the Hamas-Israel conflict. According to knowledgeable sources, 30 Thai nationals, four Filipinos, and 10 Nepalis have been killed because of the attacks by the Hamas militant group.

Migrant workers in Israel

There are reportedly more than 100,000 migrant workers in Israel. Majority of migrant workers work in agriculture and construction sectors. They have been suffering in Israel because of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Currently, there are around 150 Filipinos in the Gaza Strip.

Six Filipino migrant workers also went missing during the Israel-Hamas conflict. Missing Filipinos were unable to be reached via mobile or their social media accounts.

According to Bangkok’s Labour Ministry, nearly 30,000 Thai migrants are currently present in Israel. The majority of them work as caregivers. 

Thailand’s foreign ministry said that Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip kidnapped 11 Thai migrant workers. When Hamas launched an offensive against Israel on 7 October, around 1,099 Thai migrant workers in Israel had registered to return home.

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According to the Minister of Labor of Thailand, there are around 30,000 Thai migrant workers in Israel working in the agriculture sector. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the Minister of Labor of Thailand, has pledged to help Thai migrant workers. The Israel-Hamas conflict has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the region. 

Migrant workers in Israel are caught in a debt trap

Migrant workers in Israel cannot leave the country because they are caught in a debt trap. They are unable to leave Israel because of the high recruitment fees they paid to the recruitment agencies. 

Migrant workers paid tens of thousands of dollars to recruitment agencies before traveling to Israel for work. Sometimes, migrant workers had to hide without food or water for hours until the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) came to rescue them. 

Many migrant workers were forced to hide in a bomb shelter because of the conflict. They also expressed their fears of remaining in Israel after they were caught up in the attacks.