Despite promising reforms ahead of the 2022 World Cup, "hundreds of migrant workers in Qatar are still waiting in vain to be paid and compensated," said Thursday, September 19 the NGO Amnesty International.
"Unscrupulous employers continue to have a free hand in the country," said Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International.
"Migrant workers often go to Qatar hoping to give their families a better life, but many return home without the slightest riyal (the currency used in Qatar) after several months of to get paid for their wages, "he added.
In a report released on the day French President Emmanuel Macron receives the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the human rights NGO stresses that this situation "comes even as the authorities of Qatar have set up new commissions to resolve labor disputes swiftly, as part of the reforms agreed in advance of the 2022 World Cup ".
Compensation is not paid by Qatar
In 2018, these conflict resolution commissions received more than 6,000 complaints. But the majority of them had not been resolved by the end of the year, says the report.
Even in cases where these commissions grant compensation, it is "rarely paid". To date, Qatar has not put in place the support fund it promised in October 2018, says Amnesty.
Since March 2018, Amnesty International has been tracking more than 2,000 people seeking recovery after working for Hamton International, Hamad bin Khaled bin Hamad (HKH) and United Cleaning. These construction and cleaning companies, citing financial difficulties, did not pay them for several months, before ceasing their activity and terminating their employment contracts.
With AFP