After twelve years of preparation, the World Cup in Qatar is now in full swing. In addition to the spectacle, the tournament has a dark side: the human rights abuses of the guest workers who made the tournament possible. Who are they and how did they get to Qatar?
Zie ookRuim 60 arbeids immigrants in Qatar gearresteerd na protest om uitblijven salaris
Agencies in the countries of origin seek the help of workers
There is one in the countries of origin revenue model Behind labor migration to the Middle East. Commercial staffing agencies, similar to staffing agencies, are actively looking for workers. They focus on men with low incomes, fit for physical work and interested in a “career life” in Qatar. Because these offices are mainly located in big cities, a Dalal (Local agent) for the villages and trying to recruit people to fill a job in the Gulf State. Because of the relatively high salary that agencies promise, there is a lot of enthusiasm for it.
Employment offices then arrange the paperwork, such as work permit, health declaration, visa and flight. The costs of the so-called “commissions” range from 1,000 to 4,000 dollars (950 to 3,800 euros). Although Qatari law prohibits it, employees often pay for it themselves.
Because migrant workers often don’t have that money themselves, they borrow it from friends and family or use “professional” local lenders. According to Human Rights Watch, they sometimes ask for interest of up to 36 percent. It ensures that indebted workers begin their jobs in Qatar, which often require them to work more than a year to pay off.
“They can’t leave their jobs, otherwise the blame will lie with the family,” says Jan Cui of Human Rights Watch. “Even if someone dies in Qatar, the family has to pay off any outstanding debts.” And if they couldn’t do that, they could lose everything.
According to the organisations, countries of origin are not getting involved enough, because their economy depends in part on money sent home by migrant workers from abroad. For example, these financial flows to Nepal represent one account a fourth of the gross domestic product.
Forced labor continues to occur in Qatar
Once migrant workers arrive in Qatar, their careers often turn out to be less rosy than expected. Salaries are lower, working days are long and arduous, and days off are scarce.
Despite the abolition of the notorious kafala system – in which employers have complete power over employees – in 2020, similar bad practices still occur in practice. For example, according to Amnesty International, employers continue to look for ways to stay in control.
He kafalaysteem
- De meeste Golfstaten hteren het beruchte kafalasysteem (vrij vertaald: sponsorschap) Mensenrechtenorganisaties omschrijven het vaak als moderne slavernij.
- Arbeids migrant hebben in het kafalasysteem praktisch geen rechten. In Qatar mochten migranten niet van baan wisselen of zonder toestemming van hun werkgever het land verlaten. Arbeiders die dat touch probeerden, liepen het risico opgepakt en veroordeeld te worden.
- Officieel scafte Qatar het kafalasysteem in 2020 under grote internationale druk af. Maar volgens mensenrechtenorganisaties worden de rechten van arbeids immigrants nog steeds niet gerespecteerd.
Zo kwam dit verhaal tot stand:
- NU.nl sprak uitvoerig met een lokale afdeling van Human Rights Watch, die de werving van arbeids immigrants onderzoekt. Op verzoek noemt NU.nl hun namen niet (hun identiteit is wel bekend big de redactie).
- Daarnaast interviewden we in het Midden-Oosten gespecialiseerde onderzoekers van Clingendael, Amnesty International en Human Rights Watch.
- Ook hebben we verschillende rapporten en onderzoeken van onafhankelijke instanties geraadpleegd.
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