qatar migrant worker interview

Al-Thawadis statement that one death is too many also rings hollow. I also spent a lot to get here - over $1,000. Migrant workers cited not having valid Qatari residence permits as a barrier to seeking justice. He noted that the worker is not required to provide proof of such payment, and that disputes arising from that process will not interfere with the employees ability to change jobs. (Beirut) The success of the significant labor reform measures that Qatar introduced on September 8, 2020, will depend on how well the government enforces and monitors them, Human Rights Watch said today. In line with international standards, this means that FIFA must now ensure remedy for past labour abuses linked to the 2022 World Cup. FIFA confirms death of migrant worker at Qatar World Cup "Frank" sent this picture of the construction site he worked on near Doha, "Frank" working on a site near Doha, Qatar, There are an estimated 1.5 million migrant workers currently in Qatar, The Qatar Foundation stadium in Doha is one of the venues for the 2022 tournament, 'Frank' (not his real name), 30, from Kenya, Stephen Ellis, from Widnes, UK, worked on a World Cup site in Doha in March. They were stationed at various locations, including the Khalifa International Stadium, FIFA fan zones, the Corniche, and both in and outside the metro station in Souk Waqif in Doha. But for the rest of us, the payment of salaries is a real headache. In conjunction with the prohibition on workerstrikesand the ineffective implementation and enforcement of laws designed to protect migrant workers rights, these factors have contributed to abuse, exploitation, and even forced labor. Designer can refuse gay couples, top US court says, Rescuers amputate leg of woman stuck in travelator, Biden's $430bn student loan plan axed by top court, Eight-year election ban for Brazil's Bolsonaro, Finland minister resigns over Nazi references, Mossad says it abducted hitman from inside Iran, Little Miss Sunshine actor Alan Arkin dies aged 89. As a result, over the past 12 years, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers hired to build or provide services for projects related to the World Cup have been exploited and otherwise abused. I told him to just cancel my visa so I can go home, and he threatened to blacklist me from working in Qatar again. A top Qatari official involved in the country's World Cup organization has put the number of worker deaths for the tournament between 400 and 500 for the first time, a drastically higher number than any other previously offered by Doha. But these protections only apply to about 28,000 workersjust under 1.5 percent of Qatars overall migrant population. Qatar Hiba Zayadin (HZ):Qatar relies almost entirely on about two million migrants, who make up ninety-five percent of the countrys workforce in sectors ranging from construction to services to domestic work. Although six months have passed since the World Cup, FIFA has yet to effectively investigate the issue, or offer remedies. Qatar Migrant Workers and the Qatar World Cup | Human Rights Watch Other ways to share The appearance of such links does not constitute endorsement of the websites they lead to or the information contained therein, over which we exercise no editorial control. Life is very hard here. The starting point is dismantling thekafalasystem and ending the prohibition on migrant workers joining trade unions. No-one will listen if you complain. To a greater extent than previous tournaments, the Qatar World Cup has been mired in controversy. They just become helpers and are badly paid. Penalties include fines, detention, deportation, and a ban on re-entry. Qatar World Cup Chief Publicly Admits High Migrant Death Tolls Why are French police using guns during traffic stops? 2020 John Holmes for Human Rights Watch, Qatar: Wage Abuse Action Shortchanges Workers, Qatar: Significant Labor and Kafala Reforms, Ukraine Promises Inquiry into Banned Landmine Use, Video Shows Azerbaijan Forces Executing Armenian POWs, Olympics: Act on Sexual Abuse Complaints by Indian Athletes, US Supreme Court Topples Roe v. Wade in a Blow to Rights, have been lifting the abusive exit permit requirement, frequently violated workers right to wages. They all said they incurred recruitment-related costs to secure their positions, with 16 saying they paid more than US$200, including four who paid more than US$600, which was equivalent to more than a third of their total expected earnings. We were told by English managers that if we didn't like it to leave, so we did. The most significant of the reformshave been lifting the abusive exit permit requirementfor most workers, which prevented migrants from leaving the country without their employers permission;allowing migrant workers to change jobsbefore the end of their contracts without first obtaining their employers consent; anda new lawestablishing a non-discriminatory basic minimum wage for all workers. And even on stadium sites, workers have reported breaches of both Qatari law and the Supreme Committees additional protections. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Explore the big challenges, opportunities, debates and frameworks for business and human rights. Some migrant workers are made to work extremely long hours and are denied rest days, under the threat of having their wages cut. Qatars existing mechanism for redress is not fit for purpose and has left thousands of workers deprived of compensation for the abuses they suffered. Over the last decade,thousands ofworkers have returned home in coffins, withnoexplanationgiven to theirloved ones. Its six months since the tournament concluded but FIFA and Qatar have yet to offer an effective and accessible scheme to enable abused workers to receive the justice and compensation they are owed. I Came to Work in Qatar to Pursue My Dreams, But My Life is a Nightmare, Qatar: Little Progress on Protecting Migrant Workers, Ukraine Promises Inquiry into Banned Landmine Use, Video Shows Azerbaijan Forces Executing Armenian POWs, Olympics: Act on Sexual Abuse Complaints by Indian Athletes, US Supreme Court Topples Roe v. Wade in a Blow to Rights, Labor Ministry instructions on changing jobs, remain in the country legally up to 90 days. Which language would you like to use this site in? One of the most common violations of migrant workers rights in Gulf countries is employers failure to pay workers on time and in full, and low-paid migrant workers across the region remain acutely vulnerable to human rights abuses. Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808. Responding tocomments madebythe Secretary General of the Qatar World Cup Supreme Committee,Hassan AlThawadi,about migrant worker deaths during an interview with Piers Morgan,and a subsequent clarification of those comments issued by the Supreme Committee,SteveCockburn, Amnesty InternationalsHead of Economic and Social Justice, said: The continued debate around the number of workers who have died in the preparation of the World Cup exposes the stark reality that so many bereaved families are still waiting for truth and justice. How migrant workers are being exploited in Qatar. You start at 04:00 and work all day. Qatar Share this via Email Unfortunately, Qatar has refused to make public any meaningful data on migrant worker deaths, and heat regulations designed to protect workers from the dangers of extreme heat and humidity are still woefully inadequate. Salary Abuses Facing Migrant Workers Ahead of Qatars FIFA World Cup 2022, Barriers to Secondary Education for Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan, Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. Many who helped build stadiums and infrastructure or worked to help deliver the tournament died and their families are yet to be adequately compensated, or compensated at all. We were paid a lot more than the Indian workers - they were on about $50 a week, and we were on closer to $33 an hour - but we were still ripped off because we left early. They describe the conditions there as "pathetic" and "oppressive". "I worked on one of the World Cup sites in Doha at the end of March. Migrant Worker Controversy at Qatar's World Cup - Boundless These included the workers paying unlawful recruitment fees and other related costs, and being given misleading statements about the terms and conditions of their employment. The men said hundreds had to leave Qatar without compensation. Many families are currently ineligible to request compensation from employers which they can only do if it is classified as work-related deaths. 05:38 - Source: CNN. As the road to Qatar 2022 is reaching its destination, Amnesty International is urging FIFA and Qatar to: Take immediate and Unfortunately, Qatars census data does not disaggregate the population by national origin, nor does Qatar publish regular, independently verifiable statistics on average pay, length of stay, or legal status in the country. Qatar: Failure to investigate migrant worker deaths leaves MR: How have the Government of Qatar, FIFA, and others involved in the 2022 World Cup responded to the various criticisms about the treatment of migrant workers involved in the construction of World Cup facilities, and have the measures they have taken made a significant impact? I was paid $350 (223) a month when I got here, which was a lot less than I was promised. He kept saying he will pay soon. An August 2020 Human Rights Watch report found that employers in Qatarfrequently violated workers right to wagesand that the Wage Protection System, introduced in 2015 and designed to ensure that migrant workers are paid correctly and on time, does not protect workers from wage abuses. He said his employer had demanded that he pay him 4,000 riyals ($1,098) to issue him a residency permit and threatened to submit a runaway case against him if he did not. . With the conclusion this summer of both UEFA Euro 2020 and CONMEBOL Copa America, qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup, to be held in Qatar during November-December 2022, are set to resume next month. All our dreams vanished when my brother passed away. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Share this via Telegram For example, security guards told Amnesty International that they regularly have to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week without a single day off for months and even years on end. The amendments require that if the employee changes jobs within the probation period, which cannot exceed six months, the new employer is required to reimburse the previous employers recruitment costs, but only up to two months of the workers basic wage. This means that migrant workers can now change jobs without employer permission at any time during their employment, including during the probation period, as long as they notify their employers in accordance with Labor Ministry procedures within a prescribed notice period. Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of Qatars Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, admitted in a TV interview this week that there have been between 400 and 500 migrant worker deaths in response to a question about deaths in the last 12 years from any construction related to the World Cup. It was a striking admission from a Qatari official. The investigation shows that marshals and security guards, who worked at FIFA World Cup sites and were contracted to Teyseer Security Services, a Qatar-based company, suffered a range of work-related harms and abuses. Human Rights Watch spoke to over 80 migrant workers between January 2019 and February 2020 regarding their experiences working in Qatar. Qatar is the second country in the Gulf region to set a minimum wage for migrant workers, after Kuwait. Yet migrant workers remain vulnerable toabuseandexploitation. The Nepali government granted WDR's request for official data regarding Nepali workers in Qatar, which showed that 1,426 had passed away between 2009 and 2019. FIFA has a clear responsibility to ensure human rights are respected throughout the supply chain engaged in preparing and delivering its showcase competition. Share this via Printer. It's just a sacrifice now. The government had previously provided this right to most migrant workers in 2018, but not to those in government, oil and gas, agriculture, or domestic workers. Qatar has the highest ratio of migrants to citizens in the world. FIFA must now step in and offer immediate and meaningful remediation for the human rights abuses suffered by workers.. Qatar also continues to impose harsh penalties for abscondingwhen a migrant worker leaves their employer without permission or remains in the country beyond the grace period allowed after their residence permit expires or is revoked. For many years, Amnesty International has documented and exposed the labour abuse and exploitation of low-paid migrant workers in the country. Qatar: Hundreds of migrant workers employed as security guards The penalties include fines, detention, deportation, and a ban on re-entry. The Labor Ministry instructions on changing jobs state that workers can now independently process their job transfer and not incur any related fees. It said it will seek further clarification on the issues raised but did not commit to stepping in to provide remedy. The toilets were outside. Qatar: Ongoing debate over migrant worker deaths Employers are responsible for obtaining, renewing, and canceling work and residency permits for migrant workers, leaving workers dependent on them for their legal residency. Inadequate implementation and oversight of current legal provisions mean they rarely translate to worker protections in practice, and employers can pick and choose what protections to offer with relative impunity. Reserving an amount not less than the World Cup prize money to compensation funds and programmes to protect workers rights. How can I complain when I dont even have a residency permit? It was clear that a global event of this magnitude would mean Qatar would need to deploy immense resources and rely on vast manpower to build new stadiums, roads, hotels and other facilities and infrastructure to cater for football fans from across the globe. A recent Human Rights Watch report on wage abuse found that employers across Qatar frequently violate workers right to wages and that efforts to improve the situation have largely failed. Share this via Telegram Qatar rejects Amnesty report on unexplained labourer deaths One migrant domestic worker from Kenya who arrived in Qatar in April 2019 said her employer had only paid her half her salary as of December: She also took my passport and she never got me a QID [Qatari identity card], she hasnt even taken me yet to get my fingerprints for the QID, so I cant leave the house to complain about her to the labor court. There is no drinking water available, there is no air conditioning in their cabins - and this was in 45C heat. Moreover, these remaining provisions can continue to drive abuse, exploitation, and forced labor practices, particularly as workers, especially laborers and domestic workers, often depend on the employer not just for their jobs but for housing and food. Share this via Email Qatari authorities have rejected a widely supported compensation fund for families of deceased workers whose deaths are classified as natural causes without proper investigation. This can be invested in funds to compensate workers, and initiatives to improve workers protections for the future. "I am a truck driver working on the site of a new port project near Doha. Migrant workers and their dependents still must rely on their employers to facilitate entry, residence, and employment in the country, meaning employers are responsible for applying for, renewing, and canceling their residency and work permits. I had to take out a loan to pay for the expenses to travel to work in Qatar during the World Cup. The amendments provide that the new employer is required to reimburse the previous employers recruitment costs, up to two months of the workers basic wage, only when the worker changes jobs during their probation period. They come to Qatar because they lack stable job opportunities in their home countries, or because they believe they can earn more money working abroad. Share this via WhatsApp We are 6 months away from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but what is the situation for migrant workers on the ground? Read about our approach to external linking. Many leave behind families who depend on them financially. You work all day out in the open in extreme heat. We once went on strike because we weren't paid for a month. In September 2020, Qatar passed legislation establishing a basic minimum wage of 1,000 QAR (US$274) that applies to all workers, regardless of nationality or employment sector. There can be no excusefordenyingfamiliestruth,justice and compensation any longer, There is nothing natural about thisscale of loss and there can be no excusefordenyingfamiliestruth,justice and compensation any longer. In addition, passport confiscations, high recruitment fees, and deceptive recruitment practices are ongoing and largely go unpunished, and workers are banned from joining trade unions or striking. But FIFA also has important responsibilities that we must all make sure it lives up to. Share this via Reddit More than a third of the men interviewed, especially those employed as marshals, said they had to work 12 hours every day and worked for up to 38 consecutive days without a day off, or adequate pay to reflect this extra work, which breaches Qatari law. Labour has welcomed the government's NHS workforce plan but says it comes too late to solve the crisis in the health service. You feel trapped, like a prisoner. 1096664, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in USA and registered charitable association (e.V.) This provision is still helpful for workers who face abuse, as it entitles them to terminate without notice and presumably, the worker would not need to pay compensation to their employer. In 2017, the government started to introduce promising legal reforms to improve the working and living conditions, including introducing a law for domestic workers and legislation to protect workers from heat stress, setting up new labour courts and putting in place initiatives to compensate those who suffered abuses such as wage theft. While Qatars reform process has dominated international news, other governments too have declared their intention to restructure or reform their systems. Disclaimer: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and its collaborative partners take no position on the diverse views presented in linked material within the database, nor can we guarantee the factual accuracy of all the articles and reports we make available. FIFA should work with Qatar and other partners to set up a programme to provide remedy for hundreds of thousands of workers involved in projects linked to the World Cup. If they take a weekly day off, they risk their employer deducting their wages by up to six days pay. Malcolm Bidali, ex-guest worker in Qatar.blogged about working conditions in the Gulf state and was arrested there. Since then, Qatar has introduced several reforms that chip away at abusive aspects of thekafalasystem and offer increased labor protections. In March 2023 FIFA announced that its human rights subcommittee would conduct an assessment of the human rights legacy of the tournament, including addressing the question of remedy for labour abuses. Working and housing conditions of the 1.5 million migrant workers constructing buildings in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup have been heavily criticised. Qatar: Significant Labor and Kafala Reforms - Human Rights Watch The accommodation is provided through the company, but food and general living expenses make it hard to save anything. The hygiene here is very poor. Qatar has introduced grievance mechanisms but workers must be in the country to access its labour courts and compensation scheme. It is one of the most controversial sports tournaments ever. We all experience the same problems. For white-collar workers, Qatar offers better career prospects, higher salaries and tax-free living. Share this via LinkedIn Help us continue to fight human rights abuses. Qatar disputes the claims and says improvements have been made. They are treated very badly, and the conditions in which they live and work are terrible. Qatar Qatar has a clear obligation to prevent human rights abuses and compensate abuse. Migrant workers remain completely dependent upon their employers to facilitate entry, residence, and employment in the country, with employers responsible for applying for and renewing workers residency and work permits. This is easily doable given the organisation will make over $6 billion in revenues from the tournament and has over $1.6 billion of reserves. Qatar also introduced a non-discriminatory minimum wage of $275 per month that applies to both migrant labor workers as well as domestic workers, that it claims is the first of its kind in the region. BBC News. Opinion pieces, interviews and blogs from across the business and human rights movement. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Some recruitment agents told workers that Teyseer would pay them back for the costs incurred, and job offer letters seen by Amnesty International confirmed that the company would bear all recruitment-related costs. But can our eagerness to support our favourite teams be matched with support for migrant workers making the competition possible. In conjunction with the prohibition on worker strikes, and the ineffective implementation and enforcement of laws designed to protect migrant workers rights, these factors have contributed to abuse, exploitation, and even forced labor. Until all abuses suffered by migrant workers in Qatar are remedied,thelegacy of thisWorld Cupwill be severely tarnished by their mistreatment.. The thrill of a last-minute winner, the despair of a glaring miss, the suspense of a penalty shoot-out these are emotions that unite people from every corner of the world. And I am so scared of driving without a QID I dont want to end up in jail. is how much Qatar spent on the World Cup. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Despite the mens assertions that Teyseer and FIFA were made aware of the abuses, it appears neither organization took effective action to adequately address these issues and ensure timely remedy for workers. Everyone has their price, and as long as Qatar continues to pay, Since 2010, thousands of migrant workers have died suddenly and unexpectedly in Qatar, despite undergoing medical tests before travelling to the country. An error occurred while subscribing your email address. Teyseer denied the allegations, saying it followed an ethical recruitment process and detailing at length the various measures it said it had taken to protect workers rights on World Cup sites. The impact of all these failures has also meant that past abuses have gone unchecked and in many thousands of cases neither the victim nor their family has received compensation for the suffering endured, or adequate redress for the deaths caused. One migrant worker said that his employer had intentionally refused to renew his residency permit as retaliation for seeking redress for unpaid wages: Twice I have been picked up by the police for having an expired QID its not my fault, the company refused to renew my ID card after we [my colleagues and I] launched a case [at the labor dispute settlements committee] against them.