Majority of the Gulf's migrants are South Asian — their families fear for their safety and free speech

In the west of Melbourne, Indian Australian Amanthi watches as her husband anxiously sends text messages to his siblings thousands of kilometres away.

For the past five years, Amanthi's brother- and sister-in-law have enjoyed Dubai's warm weather and safe, multicultural lifestyle. 

The last thing they predicted was missiles and drones lighting up Dubai's famous skyline.

In the past fortnight, Iran has fired about 1,700 missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbour the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the vast majority of which have been shot down by air-defence systems.

Amanthi, who has asked to use a different name out of fear for her in-laws' safety, is worried they won't make it out of Dubai.

"Our family there have been scared and worried themselves, but are being practical." 

Amanthi says her in-laws have their bags packed and are ready to leave.

But getting out of Dubai isn't easy.

"Flight prices are five to 10 times what they usually are, making it very prohibitive to leave," Amanthi said. 

The war ​has led to tens of thousands of flight cancellations, reroutings and schedule changes worldwide and the closing of much of ​the Middle East's airspace.

In the meantime, she said her in-laws had been stocking up on essentials, working from home and trying to keep their kids calm. 

South Asians largest group of UAE migrants

Figures from 2022 showed there were nearly 35 million foreign nationals working and living across the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Across the GCC, South Asians make up the largest cohort, with Indians taking the top spot at 9 million, the New York Times recently reported. 

Bangladeshis are next at 5 million with Pakistanis not far behind.

The ABC spoke to two South Asian workers in Dubai under the condition of anonymity. 

One worker, a Pakistani delivery driver, said he heard drones outside his apartment building on Wednesday evening. 

When asked if he was concerned about the drone attacks, his response was: "If you write anything, please write we Pakistanis are happy and safe here in the UAE."

Another worker, an Indian hotel staff member, said the UAE would "always take care of them" and that he "had nothing to worry about".

Most of these workers are part of the lower-income labour force, said Ayesha Jehangir, a war, conflict and media sociologist at the University of New South Wales. 

"They work in construction, service industries, domestic work, transport and other essential sectors that keep the city, and in fact the country, running," Dr Jehangir told the ABC.

However, many of these workers have faced widespread abuses.

Human Rights Watch has long documented how the Middle East's kafala system — a sponsorship scheme which gives employers control over migrant workers' immigration and employment status — facilitates abuse and exploitation. 

"It restricts job mobility, enables employers to routinely confiscate workers' passports, and punishes workers who leave their employers, including to escape abuse, with the risk of deportation and detention," HRW said on its website. 

In 2022, a company owned by Qatar's royal family was accused of enforcing some of the "worst conditions" for migrant workers constructing FIFA World Cup stadiums and hiding mistreatment from the football authority's inspectors.

And yet, the migrant workers who spoke with the ABC continued to reassure they were "happy" and "safe".

Much of it has to do with pressure they're facing from authorities not to share unauthorised information about Iran's attacks.

Regardless, Dr Jehangir said their choices were limited.

"For many workers, simply leaving during a crisis isn't an option," Dr Jehangir said.  

'Staying quiet pays their bills'

For Indian woman Priya, whose name has also been changed, she has felt "terrified" for her dad who lives in Oman, where he's been for more than 25 years.

Priya's dad works in the medical industry. His role as an essential worker makes it difficult for him to leave. 

Data from 2021 showed about 1.4 million people in Oman were migrants, with the majority coming from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

"His presence there is critical and should something escalate, his medical services would be needed," Priya told the ABC.

From Sydney, she nervously speaks to her dad on the phone every night, both of them aware of the potential surveillance.

"For many of these migrants, staying quiet pays their bills, feeds their families and puts their kids through school," she said.

She said there were only certain people in the community who were able to feel secure.

"You're only really 'safe' if you have money, influence and connections."

Job loss and deportation risks 

Criticising the UAE's government could risk one's job, or even immigration status. 

After the war erupted, authorities announced that people who shared misinformation or even something that "results in inciting panic among people" could be prosecuted.

Only officially verified information is safe to post.

The Dubai Media Office said legal action would be taken against those who published or republished "misleading" or "outdated" videos and images. 

For this reason, Amanthi believes "the whole story" is not being shown in media.

The "false narratives" she is referring to are social media creators in Dubai choosing not to show the drone attacks from the war.

One example is a viral video trend of influencers and expats enjoying picturesque moments in Dubai, while the caption, "You live in Dubai, aren't you scared?" appears.

The caption that follows after is, "No, because I know who protects us."

The words appear on top of images of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE, as well as his son, Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Minister of Defense of the UAE.

"My family there is not sharing their own fears publicly," Amanthi said. 

"They are so worried about the ramifications for them."