Dreams To Debt: Survey Reveals What Gulf Returnees In Telangana Face — And Why Women Have It Worse

Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 11:31 IST

A survey of Gulf returnees in Telangana shows many migrants come back with debt and limited job prospects at home, with women facing steeper stigmas to employment

For thousands of families in Telangana, migration to the Gulf has long been seen as a route to financial security. But a recent survey suggests that for many migrant workers, the journey often leads from hope to hardship — with debt, unstable incomes and difficulties rebuilding livelihoods after returning home.

The findings come from ‘International Returnee Migrants in Telangana: A Survey’, a study conducted for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) by researchers from the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS). The survey, conducted in 2024, examined the experiences of migrants who had returned from Gulf countries to Telangana.

The report is drawing renewed attention now as tensions in West Asia, triggered by the ongoing war involving US-Israel and Iran, have heightened concerns among migrant workers and their families. With uncertainty in the region, some workers are considering returning home or delaying migration plans.

Against this backdrop, the survey offers a detailed look at what life after migration often looks like for returnees.

A Large Pool of Returnees

The survey covered 3,046 returnee migrants from three districts with high migration rates — Hyderabad, Jagtial and Nizamabad. Researchers collected data from more than 1,000 returnees in each district to understand their employment situation, financial conditions and reintegration challenges.

Most returnees were young workers who had spent several years in Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, largely in low- or semi-skilled jobs like construction, driving, sanitation and domestic work.

While migration helped some households cover education expenses or household needs, the study notes that the economic benefits were often limited.

Migration Often Begins With Debt

One of the most striking findings of the survey is the role of debt in financing migration.

Many migrants had to borrow large sums of money to pay recruitment agents or travel costs before leaving for the Gulf. In many cases, workers borrowed between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh, while some took loans of up to Rs 2 lakh.

As a result, much of what they earned abroad went towards repaying these loans rather than building savings or assets. For several workers, migration became a cycle — borrowing money to go abroad, repaying part of the debt, returning home, and then considering migrating again when local jobs proved scarce.

Struggles After Returning Home

Returning to Telangana often brings its own challenges. The survey found that many returnees struggled to find stable employment once they came back. Work opportunities in their hometowns were often irregular, informal or poorly paid. In several cases, the skills migrants had acquired abroad did not easily translate into jobs in the local economy.

Without steady income or structured reintegration programmes, returnees often find themselves in uncertain financial situations despite years spent working overseas.

Women Face Even Greater Barriers

The difficulties are even sharper for women migrants. The study interviewed 84 women returnees, most of whom had worked in Gulf countries as domestic workers, caregivers or beauticians. Many reported earning less than Rs 20,000 a month, while others earned between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000.

While their earnings helped support families back home — often covering household expenses or children’s education — the situation after returning was far more uncertain.

According to the survey, about 62% of women returnees were unemployed after returning to Telangana, highlighting the barriers they face in entering the local labour market.

Limited job opportunities, a lack of skills aligned with domestic employment markets and insufficient information about training programmes were among the key factors cited in the report.

Social barriers also played a role. In some communities, women who migrated for work faced stigma or lacked strong family support networks, making reintegration more difficult.

Missing Reintegration Framework

The study concludes that return migration remains an under-addressed part of India’s labour migration story.

While governments and agencies often focus on sending workers abroad, far less attention is given to what happens when they return — especially when their overseas employment ends due to contract expiry, low wages or changing geopolitical conditions.

With rising tensions in West Asia and uncertainty for migrant workers in the region, the report’s findings underscore the need for better reintegration policies, skill training programmes and employment support systems for returnees.

For many migrant workers, the survey suggests, the biggest challenge is not leaving home in search of opportunity — but finding a stable future after they come back.

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