Amnesty International calls on Qatar to end exploitation of foreign workers

Amnesty International has confirmed that the exploitation of foreign workers continues in Qatar’s Shaikhdom, which has not fulfilled any of its promises to reform labor laws to improve the conditions of foreign workers working in the shaikhdom preparing to host the 2022 World Cup.

“Despite the promises of reform made by Qatar before the 2022 World Cup, it remains a hotbed for some employers who are deprived of principles,” the organization said in a report published today.

The report documents the suffering of hundreds of workers in three construction and cleaning companies in the Sheikhdom of Qatar, who have not been paid for months, pointing out that most of the workers in the companies (Hamilton International), (HKH) and (United Clinic) returned home without their dues.

The organization cited the case of a Kenyan worker at United Cleaning, who said he had to “look for food in the trash bins” because he had not been paid for five months.

“All migrant workers go to Qatar in the hope of giving a better life to their families,” said Stephen Cockburn, the organization’s deputy director for international affairs. “Instead, many return home empty-handed after months of gasping.” To collect their wages with the help of a small system that is supposed to protect them there, calling on the authorities of the elders of Qatar to end the “shameful” reality of the exploitation of workers.

The situation of foreign workers in projects related to the World Cup 2022 has been criticized by many organizations, especially in terms of the conditions in which they work and their lack of rights, where reports of the death of many of them as a result of hard working conditions and practices similar to slavery in dealing with them.