Amnesty: Qatar’s moves to curb migrant exploitation ‘woefully insufficient’
Amnesty accuses the Qatari authorities of dragging their feet on needed changes to the labor law
Amnesty International on Wednesday criticized Qatar’s steps to end migrant exploitation as “woefully insufficient.”
The rights group said the Gulf state has made “only minimal progress” on previously announced plans to curb migrant exploitation, an issue that made global headlines over the past year and prompted calls for Qatar to be stripped of the World Cup organization.
“Time is running out fast. It has been four years since Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup, putting itself in the global spotlight, so far its response to migrant labour abuses has not been much more than promises of action and draft laws,” said Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Head of Refugee and Migrants’ Rights at Amnesty International.
“Urgent action is needed to ensure we do not end up with a World Cup tournament that is built on forced labour and exploitation,” Elsayed-Ali added, in statements posted on Amnesty’s website.
He accused the Qatari authorities of dragging their feet on needed changes to the labor law, including scrapping the exit permit and reforming its “abusive sponsorship system.”
The rights group said it has previously highlighted to Qatar “exploitative practices,” such as the delays in payment of migrants’ wages, harsh working conditions and “shocking details of forced labour and physical and sexual violence.”
The group says the measures taken by the country since May to improve conditions of migrants have been insufficient.
“Six months later, only a handful of the limited measures announced in May have even been partially implemented. Overall the steps taken so far are woefully insufficient,” said Sherif Elsayed-Ali.
“By failing to act quickly to address the gaping holes in its human rights record, Qatar risks seriously damaging its credibility and calling into question its commitment to human rights.”
-
'We’re no vampires,' Qatar tells World Cup critics
Human rights groups have documented ill-treatment in Qatar of migrant workers from Asia and Africa Sports -
Qatar considers changes to migrant labor policies
The newly announced measures must still be approved by the Shura council, a consultative body, and other entities Middle East -
U.N. rights panel urges Qatar on labor law
Qatar has been urged at the United Nations to abolish the sponsorship system tying migrant workers to employers Middle East -
Qatar migrants caught up in “kafala” system
The Guardian reported on the case of several migrant workers in Qatar who are apparently caught up in the “kafala” system of employer sponsorship Economy -
Over 500 migrant workers died in Qatar
The Indian embassy in Qatar says hundreds of Indian laborers have died building the infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Sports -
Qatar to publish report into World Cup migrant worker conditions
The highly-awaited report comes after a series of reports earlier this year by the British newspaper detailing widespread labour abuses Sports