DOHA: Qatar is running out of time to stamp out widespread serious labor abuse for tens of thousands of migrant workers before hosting the 2022 World Cup, Amnesty International warned Tuesday.
The human rights group said in a yet another critical labor report that despite well-publicized “nascent reforms,” Qatar risks breaking its promise to the world to deliver meaningful change before football’s biggest tournament is hosted for the first time in the Middle East.
“Time is running out if the Qatari authorities want to deliver a legacy we can all cheer, namely a labor system that ends the abuse and misery inflicted upon so many migrant workers every day,” said Amnesty’s Stephen Cockburn.
Although the “Reality Check” report focuses on conditions for all of the two million migrant workers in Qatar, not just the 30,000 on direct World Cup projects, Amnesty said FIFA had an “ongoing responsibility” to prevent abuse.
The report stated that despite reforms, conditions “for many migrant workers in Qatar remain harsh.”
Amnesty called on Qatar to strengthen and properly enforce current labor laws, tackle worker debt by increasing the minimum wage, stop passports being held by bosses and, crucially, fundamentally overhaul the “kafala,” or sponsorship, system.
This practice, which ties workers to their employers, restricts their ability to change jobs or leave the country, remains firmly in place, said Amnesty, despite Doha’s promises to end the system.
Amnesty also called for much better protection for some 175,000 domestic workers, who remain “out of sight and out of mind.”
“Holes in the reforms to date mean many workers are still stuck in harsh conditions, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, while those who return home do so empty handed, with no compensation and no justice,” added Cockburn.
The report could temper the current jubilatory mood in Qatar, where there has been widespread celebration since the national team won its first ever Asian Cup at the weekend.
The wealthy gas-rich state has initiated a series of labor reforms in recent years following intense international pressure and at a time of deep political tension within the Gulf, which has seen Qatar isolated by former neighboring allies.
Qatar has introduced a monthly minimum wage of 750 Qatari riyals ($206, 180 euros), a system to ensure workers are paid electronically, and partially scrapped the exit visa system which meant workers had to seek employers’ permission before leaving the country.
It also agreed in 2017 to work closely with the International Labour Organization (ILO), which now has a Doha office, to improve workers’ conditions.
Time running out on Qatar labor reform, warns Amnesty
Time running out on Qatar labor reform, warns Amnesty
- Amnesty called on Qatar to strengthen and properly enforce current labor laws
- It also called for much better protection for some 175,000 domestic workers, who remain “out of sight and out of mind”
Kosovo president Osmani congratulates Syria on Liberation Day
- ‘This is a day that symbolizes not only freedom regained, but also the rebirth of a people’s hope’
RIYADH: Kosovan President Vjosa Osmani has sent her congratulations to the Syrian people as Syria celebrated Liberation Day marking a year since the overthrow of Bashar Assad.
“Happy Liberation Day to all the people of Syria. It is with profound honor that I address you today on behalf of the people and the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, as you mark this historic first anniversary of your liberation,” the Kosovan leader said in a video posted on her social media account.
“This is a day that symbolizes not only freedom regained, but also the rebirth of a people’s hope.”
“Both our countries, Kosovo and Syria, have known the darkest chapters of oppression, injustice, and unimaginable suffering. But we have also known what it means to rise, to transform pain into purpose and strength. We have stood firm in our belief that no force can extinguish a people’s yearning for freedom,” Osmani added.
Syria formally recognized Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state in October during a trilateral meeting in Riyadh hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Syrian president Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Kosovo’s Osmani.
Osmani described Syria’s recognition of Kosovo as a “historic event,” and expressed her appreciation to the crown prince for facilitating the meeting between the two nations.
“We have learned that justice, though delayed, always finds a voice. For the people of Kosovo, freedom was earned through so much sacrifice and courage. And we know that the same spirit defines the people of Syria, who have endured so much, yet never surrendered their faith in a better tomorrow,” Osmani said in her video greeting to the Syrian people.
“Dear friends in Syria, please know that Kosovo stands with you. We will be your partner, your friend, and your ally every step of the way. From Pristina to Damascus, our hearts beat as one for freedom, for dignity, and for the enduring friendship between our two countries. Happy Liberation Day.”
