Naked truth about Qatar labour and slavery

Dear reader, I know if you are Qatari, it might hurt you, but don't forget that what I am going to write here is just collection of facts...TRUE and REAL facts, which is happening in Qatar.

The hundreds of thousands of vulnerable workers who have been systematically victimized in Qatar. If Qatar wants to be recognized on the world stage they need to come to grips with these issues and take action. Qatari citizens' attitudes and treatment of laborers is unacceptable and this is the biggest challenge to overcome for the government of Qatar.

Here are some of the quote and links I found....

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/97599

From U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE-QATAR HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES

"Human rights remain closely restricted. The main human rights problems include the denial of the right of citizens to change their government, arbitrary detentions in security cases, and restrictions on worker rights and the freedoms of speech,
press, assembly, and association. Constraints on women's rights continued, as did the systematic discrimination faced by non-Qatari workers."

"Foreigners are subject to immigration restrictions designed to control the size of the local labor pool. Foreigners who work in Qatar must have a sponsor (usually an employer) in order to enter the country. They must also obtain the sponsor's permission to leave."

"Violence against women, primarily foreign domestic workers, occurs in Qatar but is not believed to be widespread. However, some foreign domestics working in Qatar (especially those from south Asia and the Philippines) have suffered severe mistreatment. In keeping with Islamic law, all forms of physical abuse are illegal, and the maximum penalty for rape is death. The police actively investigate reports of violence against women. In 1992 and 1993, the Government demonstrated an increased willingness to arrest and punish offenders, both Qatari and non-Qatari. However, most domestic worker victims do not press charges for fear of losing their jobs and being deported. The law is applied unevenly, with Qataris facing lighter punishment than foreigners."

That's why Nepal government has ban any Nepali female working as domestic maid. Similar, India has also imposed heavy restriction for such work.

Former SAARC Secretary General QAMA Rahim told bdnews24.com: "The workers become virtual slaves when their passports are taken away by employers, as their status in a foreign land becomes illegal without passports."

"We received complaints of physical torture and abuse, non-payment of salary for several months and filing of false cases against them," Faleiro, a former Indian minister of state for external affairs, said after his visit to Qatar and other middle east countries.

Faleiro said he was himself informed that "some male domestic workers" were taken by their employers to Saudi Arabia and abandoned in the desert without proper papers, no food and water and no medical attention.

"It appears that the law of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) allows the citizen of a member country to take his employee to another member country to work in his estate. The GCC law does not require the employer to bring the employee back. This lacuna in the law causes a lot of human suffering," Faleiro added.

"Many of the local people appear to consider a housemaid as a commodity to be used and abused at will. As a result, Pakistan has banned the export of maids a long time ago. Nepal banned it six years ago," Faleiro noted.

The government of the Philippines has set enforceable conditions in all such contracts that ensure a fair treatment to housemaids and empower their embassy to enforce the contract. Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi maids face a situation similar to Indian maids.

Increasing numbers of Nepalese workers are being deported merely for seeking payment of their outstanding wage arrears, Nepal’s ambassador has charged. Ambassador Surya Nath Mishra told Gulf Times that the issue was quite serious.

“If he has to go back within the first two years, it will be really terrible. How can he go back? Everyone at home is dependent on his salary. And what is he punished for? For seeking something which is rightfully his”, the ambassador asked.

The workers would have spent QR6,000 or more to get to Qatar, towards recruiting agency charges and other expenses. If the worker is deported, he and his family could be in deep trouble, and probably in debt throughout his life.

The number of disgruntled workers is increasing, with most complaining of non-payment of wages and poor living conditions, he said.

Non-payment of overtime wages even after working for 12 hours a day is a serious issue, ambassador said. Similarly, poor accommodation facilities add to workers’ misery.

“The worker is toiling in the construction sector and contributing to the development of the country. He does not deserve this”.

“We have no other option but to send him to the Labor Department”.
Mishra said the embassy was preparing a “watch list” of companies which made Nepalese workers’ life miserable. “We will not supply manpower to such companies in the future.” The ambassador, however, said he wasn’t sure if it would work. “This is just one way”.

Mishra disclosed that the embassy received more than 100 complaints every day. Some of the complaints also related to deduction of residence permit charges from the workers by some companies. Some firms deducted full, some half from the workers while some bore the expenses themselves.

“When the wages are just QR600 and if you deduct the RP charges from it, what is left for him and his family”, he asked. Some companies also do not pay for the ticket and this puts additional burden on the worker, he pointed out.

Abu Dhabi has started to protect it's poor and vulnerable people by forcing companies to pay labourers by cheque so that they can monitor who is in breach of rules. I hope Qatar can follow the same system to protect labourers-but are they willing to do it?

Here is a comment of a visitor

Without a doubt Qatari people need ex-pats for their society to function. As a female ex-pat worker I saw things during my time in Doha that sucked the air out of my lungs. I am powerless to affect change in this country. It makes me value even more my NZ/egalitarian upbringing. But I won't forget the wrongs I saw (kiwis are like that!).... and 1 day I will work for Amnesty International. Remember that corrupt govts ALLOW their people to be exploited at home and abroad. India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Syria, Sri Lanka, The Philippines, Bangladesh(to name a few) BE WARNED: your people and the world are watching.Not everybody turns a blind eye and pretty soon people such as myself will outnumber those who exploit. So be warned

Are we real Muslims?

Our Prophet said... u must pay labour his due before his sweat dries... he was very kind to his servants and to those who were week in the society... its not right for a Muslim to do injustice ... Allah is the sear and hearer of all the deeds we do and we shall be answerable to HIM on the day of judgment...

Read more......

The Qatar labor situation: more sad stories, and my suggestions
http://qatar.livejournal.com/219310.html