Human rights in the Gulf states: Thousands of migrant worker deaths unexplained Every year, some 10,000 low-paid migrant labourers return home to southeast Asia from the Gulf in body bags. Half of these deaths are unexplained, and with no labour laws in place — nor any will from home nations to investigate — the cycle of exploitation continues unabated. These figures are estimates published in a report from the NGO FairSquare. As summer begins, more and more of these vulnerable workers are succumbing to heat-related illnesses. For more, we speak to Nicholas McGeehan, Director of FairSquare Research and Projects.