Campaign Update:

October 17, 2019: In a major development, Qatar is set to finally abolish its notorious “kafala” system in January according to an announcement from the International Labour Organization. Read more…

End Forced Labor in Qatar

Bide Majakoti knows the horror of forced labor in Qatar first-hand. He travelled from Nepal on the promise of a well-paid job and paid high recruitment fees to secure it. When he arrived he was forced to accept a different job and his nightmare began.

Unfortunately, as construction for the football World Cup 2022 intensifies, more migrant workers will be vulnerable to forced labor than ever before.

Over 90% of Qatar’s workforce are migrant workers, brought to the country under kafala, the ‘sponsorship’ system.¹ It is a foreign worker sponsorship programme that jeopardises basic human rights of migrant workers, allowing slavery-like conditions to flourish leaving thousands vulnerable to forced labor and other human rights abuses.

Bide was forced to work in the blistering heat without safety precautions or pay. With no other option open to him, he returned home saddled with debt. While Bide ultimately returned home to tell his story, thousands of others never get that chance.

Many others’ experiences are even worse; workers often have their wages withheld, are denied exit visas, are housed in dirty, unsafe conditions and forced to work long hours with little rest despite the high heat.²

Right now we have an opportunity to help. The Minister of Labor made promises to make substantial reform to the kafala system, ensuring the protection of migrant workers.³ Now, the deadline for these reforms has passed.

We’ve seen significant improvements to the kafala system in Bahrain, Kuwait and other neighboring countries. Now it’s time for Qatar to safeguard its migrant workers.

Call on the Minister of Labor to deliver on critical reforms he promised and end the forced labor in Qatar.

Watch ‘Undercover film of life inside Qatar’s labor camps’ by Equal Times

Notes:

October 17, 2019: In a major development, Qatar is set to finally abolish its notorious “kafala” system in January according to an announcement from the International Labour Organization. Read more…
August 8, 2019: Hundreds of migrant workers in Qatar went on strike to protest labor conditions and the the failure of the Qatari government to fully abolish the exploitative kafala visa sponsorship scheme that puts workers at risk of forced labor.
June 27, 2019: A recent undercover investigation has exposed that migrant workers working on World Cup projects are alleging labor abuses that amount to modern slavery.
September 4, 2018: Progress! The Qatar government has adopted a new law removing the need for migrant workers to obtain exit visas. This means that migrant workers covered by the Labor Code in Qatar will no longer require permission from their employer to obtain an exit visa to leave the country. We welcome this significant progress, however, we note that employers can still require a maximum of 5% of their workforce to apply for a ‘no objection certificate’. You can read the ILO’s full statement here.
March 2018: Qatar has committed to return USD 5 million in recruitment fees to 30,000 migrant workers who have been involved in construction ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Our partner, ITUC, has recognized this as a “positive step” for the government of Qatar, who aim to reimburse 5,500 workers by the end of March 2018. Read the full story here.
August 2017: Qatar passed a domestic workers’ law which limits the working day for domestic staff to a maximum of 10 hours, ensures monthly payment of wages, and their entitlement to annual leave and sick leave. This historic bill was issued by Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and is the first legal protection of its kind for domestic workers in Qatar.
March 2017: On March 21, the ILO agreed to extend its monitoring of labor conditions in Qatar until November. In December 2016, a new labor law entered into force that, according to Qatar, abolished the kafala system and a 2017 amendment to the law is said to have officially ended the exit permit. The ITUC and Amnesty International, however, state that the law has not ended the kafala system. Workers still require approval from their employer if they want to change jobs throughout their contract. Workers must also obtain their employer’s permission if they want to leave the country.

October 17, 2019: In a major development, Qatar is set to finally abolish its notorious “kafala” system in January according to an announcement from the International Labour Organization. Read more…
June 27, 2019: A recent undercover investigation has exposed that migrant workers working on World Cup projects are alleging labor abuses that amount to modern slavery.
March 2018: Qatar has committed to return USD 5 million in recruitment fees to 30,000 migrant workers who have been involved in construction ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Our partner, ITUC, has recognized this as a “positive step” for the government of Qatar, who aim to reimburse 5,500 workers by the end of March 2018. Read the full story here.
March 2017: On March 21, the ILO agreed to extend its monitoring of labor conditions in Qatar until November. In December 2016, a new labor law entered into force that, according to Qatar, abolished the kafala system and a 2017 amendment to the law is said to have officially ended the exit permit. The ITUC and Amnesty International, however, state that the law has not ended the kafala system. Workers still require approval from their employer if they want to change jobs throughout their contract. Workers must also obtain their employer’s permission if they want to leave the country.

August 8, 2019: Hundreds of migrant workers in Qatar went on strike to protest labor conditions and the the failure of the Qatari government to fully abolish the exploitative kafala visa sponsorship scheme that puts workers at risk of forced labor.
September 4, 2018: Progress! The Qatar government has adopted a new law removing the need for migrant workers to obtain exit visas. This means that migrant workers covered by the Labor Code in Qatar will no longer require permission from their employer to obtain an exit visa to leave the country. We welcome this significant progress, however, we note that employers can still require a maximum of 5% of their workforce to apply for a ‘no objection certificate’. You can read the ILO’s full statement here.
August 2017: Qatar passed a domestic workers’ law which limits the working day for domestic staff to a maximum of 10 hours, ensures monthly payment of wages, and their entitlement to annual leave and sick leave. This historic bill was issued by Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and is the first legal protection of its kind for domestic workers in Qatar.

May 05, 2016 Campaign Launches

Chip in and help end modern slavery once and for all.

78

Leave a Reply

500

newest oldest most voted

Javara Nova

FIFA, as an international body must stand up for justice and humanity. If it is unable to do that then they are worth nothing. BOYCOTT THE GAMES IN QATAR!
What will it take for Qatar to develop a heart… compassion for their fellow human beings?
SHAME ON QATAR!

sylvia kinder

Glad this is ending disgusting it ever existed. All forms of slavery need to end.

Ganesh Munjwal

Good decision

Mike

Well done, if it all goes through. It is only international pressure that brings this sort of thing about. The comments about FIFA are relevant.

Ole Taiko

This is way overdue

Qatar: End forced labor

Help us reach 100,000 actions

88,741

Read the Full Petition Text

Dr. Issa bin Saad Al-Jafali Al-Nuaimi, Minister for administrative development, labor and social affairs,

Your Excellency,

While I applaud you for your public commitment to reform the kafala system in Qatar, the changes made to date are insufficient to protect migrant workers from forced labor and exploitation.

I ask that you take further steps to end forced labor by:

Introducing and enforcing penalties on employers where the practice of contract substitution takes place, that forces workers to accept lower wages on arrival into Qatar.

Ensuring migrant workers’ passports are returned, and that workers hold their own passports and are given their worker IDs, through more effective enforcement and implementation of current laws targeting employers.

Removing impediments to workers leaving the country, and changing employers including any employer objections to exit visas.

Whilst these are important first steps in the fight to ensure basic worker rights, there is a need to go much further towards ending the abuse of migrant workers’ rights.

Thank you for your leadership on this issue and I look forward to hearing further announcements and details of substantive reforms to end modern slavery in Qatar.

Sincerely,

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Freedom United will protect your privacy while updating you on campaigns, news and stories about modern slavery.

Martin R., 9:49 PM, November 22, 2019
Jeff H., 8:19 PM, November 22, 2019
CHRISTINA R., 6:45 PM, November 22, 2019
OLUCHI P., 8:20 AM, November 22, 2019
Diana S., 1:45 AM, November 22, 2019
Susan W., 3:51 PM, November 21, 2019
Rina P., 2:27 PM, November 21, 2019
Michael2 P., 11:47 AM, November 21, 2019
Mick T., 10:21 AM, November 21, 2019
Stephen S., 7:26 AM, November 21, 2019

Qatar: End forced labor

End Forced Labor in Qatar

78

Leave a Reply

Qatar: End forced labor

Latest Activity

Campaign Partners

Qatar: End forced labor

78 Leave a Reply

Qatar: End forced labor

Latest Activity

Campaign Partners

Welcome to Freedom University Please log in to access your account.

Welcome Please log in via Facebook/Google+ or request an email with a link to create a password.

Join the Movement and stay updated

Please create a password for your profile.

78

Leave a Reply

Welcome Please log in via Facebook/Google+ or request an email
with a link to create a password.