중동의 노동 이주와 카팔라 체제

Labor Migration and the Kafala System in the Middle East: Stability of Rentier State and the Dual Structure of Labor Market

Post-Arab Spring civil uprisings occurred mainly in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt. Unemployment and job insecurity were the main reasons. Protests have often turned into serious security concerns. Still, ironically, in GCC countries, where low-wage migrant workers come in large numbers every year, with the exception of Bahrain, workers' protests have not escalated into national security issues. This was because 30 million migrant workers were placed in the secondary labour market, which reduced the dissatisfaction of GCC citizens who were engaged in the primary labour market. This unique dual labour market structure of GCC countries is at the crossroads of major changes. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are bringing the automation of the labour market to an unavoidable reality. However, there is still insufficient discussion and preparation in the international community regarding changes in the labour market structure of GCC countries and the Kafala system, which will significantly impact the labour markets of non-oil-producing countries in the Middle East. Thus, this paper focuses on labour migration and the kafala system to examine the GCC’s dual structure of labour markets in the automation process.