Amnesty: Qatar "lagging behind" in reforming migrant rights
Amnesty International has warned Qatar that it is failing to tackle the abuse of migrant workers, according to a report by BBC.
In May, Qatar had promised to improve the rights of migrants amid growing international concern about their treatment.
However, Amnesty has been critical and said progress to end exploitation had been minimal.
Among others, the report highlighted that Qatar was "lagging behind" in reforming controversial laws that tie migrants to a single employer.
Amnesty said that requirements that workers obtain exit permits from their employers in order to leave the country were also still in place.
Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Head of Refugee and Migrants' Rights at Amnesty, said: "Time is running out fast. It has been four years since Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup, putting itself in the global spotlight, so far its response to migrant labour abuses has not been much more than promises of action and draft laws."
"Urgent action is needed to ensure we do not end up with a World Cup tournament that is built on forced labour and exploitation."
Earlier this month, Qatar's Sports Minister Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali told The Associated Press news agency that Qatar planned to implement reformed labour laws in the "next few months".
Amnesty thinks the proposals did not go far enough.
The report said that Qatari officials increasingly acknowledge the need for improvement but that widespread changes must happen in the coming months.
A failure to put serious changes in place would "call into question whether the Qatari authorities are serious about reform."
QLers: What do you think of Qatar's reforms? Do you think they have progressed with their promise of reforming the laws?
My opinion & observation; I think the so called labour law reformation is only a quick reaction but not implementation.
don't forget africans
It is Amnesty or HRW or some two faced Western Governments, everyone talks about the factors which does not have any impact on their economies but no one talks about the equal pay.
A Fresh or less experienced Western professional gets at least three times more salary than an experienced Asian Professional.
I read so many articles about asking for reforms etc but never read about the western media asking for equal pay.
Is there any single human right westerner who stood up and asked to pay him the same salary equivalent to what an Asian gets paid?