Thousands of labourers detained by UAE authorities for almost two weeks following a riot at their labour camp are to be released shortly and will be allowed to resume work, according to official sources.More than 3,000 mostly Indian labourers were arrested after groups of individuals went on a violent rampage at their camp in the emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah on July 4 to protest against living conditions.
During the riot which started in the camp’s canteen, a manager, security guards and workers were beaten up.
Sources quoted by the Press Trust of India news agency on Wednesday said eight of the labourers – seven Indians and one Bangladeshi – will remain in custody for their suspected part in the protest.
India’s ambassador to the UAE, Talmiz Ahmad, said last week the incident involved just “a small group” and that the embassy was pushing for the release of those not involved in the riot.
The labourers are being held in prisons in several of the UAE’s seven emirates.
The workers’ release will be a popular move with many UAE residents: in a recent poll by Arabian Business, nearly 65 percent of respondents called for them to be freed immediately.
The violence in Ras Al-Khaimah was the latest in a series of incidents to hit construction sites in the UAE, where hundreds of thousands of mostly Asian low-paid labourers are employed.
The protests, which have multiplied since last year despite a ban on public protests, have been mainly over low or withheld pay and poor living conditions.
It is thought that blue-collar workers make up two thirds of the estimated 1.5 million UAE-resident Indians who form the largest expatriate community.
UAE nationals make up only about 15 percent or around 800,000 out of a population of 5.6 million, according to a recent unofficial study.
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