Mitery Kunja Raided and Closed Down
Anywhere or any time I face the problem it did not come alone - it comes with lot of friends. As a matter of fact I had lot of dreams with Mitery Kunja (Safe House). I wanted to show people that there is nothing impossible in this world, specially in Qatar for expat workers human rights . I fight with lot of people and organization about human rights and other rights, I see the problems , I found the way how to solve problem, I request lot of people and concern authority to take some action regarding the case , I found the result is zero. Then I thought why not do start something along with support of community and I did. I got lot of support and sympathy , day by day I was getting more and more sympathy ,these sympathy gave me energy and hope.
As you know we found people crying in street, we found people dying in the worst labor camp, we found the people staying 4/5/in the airport with out food and knowing who is their sponsor of company , we found the people who are not getting salary more then 6-10 month and without resident permit, we found lot of peoples are not getting food , water and health care, salary on time, we found how people treat other people like animals.
On Sunday I am planning to go myself to the detention even though they are searching for me because I have to see my peoples situation inside the detention camp. I need healthy suggestion from you, is it good or dangerous for me to go there?
Another thing of interest is to continue Mitery Kunja. This time they arrest all our people, in Qatar what I know that more then 50,000 low income expats are still need our help and support. This year Dubai Government make 74,000 illegal people to legal. In Dubai they made Sponsorship change very easy , and Khuruj (exit permit) . We have a lot to do for them them and for the betterment of Qatars future.
If these labourers were at one time employed and sponsored it must be easy to trace the sponsors. One thing which interests me is that Sponsors are issued a certain amount of visas and to get more visas or new labourers he has to cancel the first visas and rp's. If these people have been employed then they must have/had a valid RP's which all of us receive when we are employed. So why can't they find these sponsors and forbid them to take new labourers until all others have had their RP's and working visa cancelled and last but not least their salaries and dues paid.
Again manpower agencies are and should be involved in this delema as they are recruiting the laborourers overseas and charging them high fees so they should also be held responsible for this situation.
How can you put a person into a "state of being illeagal" when he was leagally brought by the the sponsor, and was then abandoned by him/her. There should at least be a gouvernment policy in place to help such people.
Qatar is using mostly foreign labourers, who have no social welfare to support them if they are abandoned here, but Qatar is not a poor country and should be able to provide for these poor people (who are assisting in building their country) whithout putting them in jail as this is in no way correct.
Well, you might say "they came here of their own free will", but without them Qatar would not be as it is today!!
Qatar also has a Human Rights Commission - where are they when something like this happens? Or do these labourers not have any Human Rights?
The "abandoned by sponsors" issue comes up due to confistication of the passport by the Employer/Sponsor.
Confisticating the employee's passport is truly unfair.
I want to correct something angelwings said
"all expatriates even abandoned ones, are illegal unless they are employed in some kind of work."
OR You have a visa...
If you have a tourist visa, study visa, or the correct permit you don't have to work and you are not illegal.
If only there was a government indorsed project.
Imagine a special compound built by the government which housed these people. Anybody with an issue to report or says they were abandoned could live there and the issue would be investigated. If it was true, then the employer would be fined and forced to pay for a ticket back for that person. That employer would also be placed on a black-list.
__________________________
I Love Qatar - http://www.iloveqatar.net
Marjorie visited the safe house and reported this :
http://qatar.livejournal.com/224945.html
We know the problem will always be there too, but we can't close our minds or eyes. We have to do something at least. If you had 12 hours to live, wouldn't you like to know you'd at least tried?
If the grass is greener on the other side, its sure the water bill is higher !
The legalising was 'recognised' initially by the Nepalese Embassy. With the changeover of Ambassadors, this was deleted. It has yet to be reinstated... but what to do in the meantime. Throw everyone out on the streets again...? Try and tell a starving man, who can't even get a drink that he's not allowed to stay in the shade of your roof.
By the way, drinking fountains in the Industrial area were turned off for hours at a time, so many of the fountains that were available where these folks could get a drink of water, ceased to exist. This means dehydration and death. What would you have done stealth?
Angelwings
If the grass is greener on the other side, its sure the water bill is higher !
There will always be problem with that kind of set up angelwings.
When you mix your own staff with people whom you think should need a safe house is going to be pretty troublesome.
A similar set-up I think is run under the aegis of the Indian Embassy here where they take care of people(Indians) mistreated by their employers. I think even the Philippines embassy has got some sort of arrangements for this.
When you try to do something on your own make sure you have the full recognition from your embassy, access to lawyers and make sure you dont mix whom you are trying to help out with your own staff.
Whatever good you may try to do will end up creating a lot more troubles if you dont try to leglaise the operations.
This was started because so many of the labourers found themselves literally on the street. The Nepalese embassy, under the old Ambassador, had given recognition as this place being a 'safe house' for these people to stay, as they had no-where else. IT DOES NOT HOLD ABSCONDING PEOPLE; only those who have been abandoned by sponsors. It was also visited by the Human Rights and Human Trafficking depts.
However, Safe Houses as such, need to have recognition from the Charity Commission to be finally legal, and that is what Gokul, the founder, was trying to do.
But in the meantime, Gokul housed some of his own work-force there, so that it wouldn't be so costly to run (40 of his own, and 60 abandoned people). The rents as you all know are exhorbitant, and food is no less cheaper now with the recent price hikes. Therefore it has been neccessary to donate, and to 'share' these costs to make the effort viable. Otherwise one single nepalese businessman could not cover these costs every month. 'Primsolution' has problems with that. He seems to think of it as a freebie boarding house, where you can get everything for nothing.
In terms of finances, all donations to the house have been accounted for, and are in books for viewing by anyone who wants to see.
Unfortunately, until the law is changed, all expatriates even abandoned ones, are illegal unless they are employed in some kind of work. There are no immigrants in Qatar, as they have strict laws concerning this. Everyone must come here for work, and recieve a Work Permit to do so. Some sponsors have been lax in these requirements, hence the 'abandoned' people. Why do they sponsor then? Because they recieve a 'fee' for doing so. It a quick way to make a buck!
Angelwings.
If the grass is greener on the other side, its sure the water bill is higher !
amnesia this is also what make me wonder. If it was only a safe house then i dont think there would have been any problems.
IT is the comment from Primesolution that has sowed the seeds of doubt.
I'm sorry can someone explain to me what this is about.
I'm sorry for not being educated in this matter.
What is the goal of Mitery Kunja?
Is it a refuge for people who have been abandoned?
What is the goal of this refuge? To simply house the people? What is the solution that this group is striving for?
Also Primesolution says that this group uses these poor souls themselves for their own company. As I understood 'free labour' for a cause.
__________________________
I Love Qatar - http://www.iloveqatar.net
Stealth ! Mitery and this guy have been working with the embassy since day one... I was there this week with him. Plus the Human trafficking Dept, and the Human Rights Dept. What more can we do?
These guys pay an agent to get the job, supposedly connected with the manpower situation here, and are allocated work with a specific sponsor... there is no way you can 'sneak' into qatar without those papers. What does happen is that between crooked agents and some crooked sponsors things go haywire, and they are, for the most part, caught in the middle. We find them living on roadsides, wandering alone in the airport, or begging for food and shelter from other labourers in the industrial estates.
Angelwings
If the grass is greener on the other side, its sure the water bill is higher !
QL site is undergoing reconstruction, search button is missing for the timebeing.
Can anyone help me find the search space on this site?...what good is a site if you can't search for things?...lest i be totally dof, please help me find it!...the agony is bearable, but only just...
All the people in the house may not have been sponsored by the same person. So even having one well know Qatari may not be enough. Unless it is a very high up from the ruling family.
Sad but true that we always need someone strong to stay with us in this kind of situation. If you want to "survive" and continue this good mission, please assure that yourself has a strong support. In this case, a Qatari, a powerful one, should go along with you. Is there any kind of that Qatari here in QL? Sorry, if you are an expat, forget it since they will XXrew you no matter how right you are.
Another thing is, please also tell those people to come to Qatar only in legal way. We have enough trouble when we are legal, can you imagine if you are illegal??
Just my two cent opinion.
He should have been interacting witha at least the lawyers over here or involved his embassy. That he would have had protection from the beginning.
That would have saved a lot of hassle.
What "benefit" is there for this guy??? He houses, feeds and cares for abandoned and abused people, and is out of pocket for doing so. He has done this long before Mitery ever existed... I went almost two years ago to meet some of the folks he was helping and these guys had nothing except a 'friend' in this man. He provided water, sustenance, and compassion. He had nothing to gain back then, and nothing to gain now.
The fact that they were not 'legal as per Qatari Law' wasn't their fault.
Talk when you have something of proof with your statements.
Angelwings
If the grass is greener on the other side, its sure the water bill is higher !
in my openion you should have gone along with the labours the same night of the raid, who were used for your benefits and that they were not legal as per qatari law, sunday is too late i hope you will be taking all the detainees along with you to nepal.