The British newspaper “The Guardian” revealed that thousands of migrant workers, who helped build the World Cup stadiums in Qatar, “are now forced to leave.”
She said british newspaper Some of them were notified of the necessity of leaving even before the expiry of their work contract, while others did not receive their last salaries or full bonuses, as she put it.
It appears that Doha’s decision to return migrant workers to their countries before the start of the World Cup is linked to a government circular, published last year, says the same newspaper, which ordered some contractors to complete all work by mid-September as part of a plan to “reduce the number of workers in the country” in the run-up to the events. world Cup.
The Guardian newspaper interviewed 25 workers, most of whom said they were expecting to stay in Qatar for two years, but that it was decided to repatriate them early.
“Now many of those interviewed have returned to their countries,” according to the report, which was published by the newspaper on Thursday.
“We don’t want to go back”
Some of the workers who spoke to the Guardian said they did not work long enough to pay the huge sums, the equivalent of four or five months of salaries in Qatar, that they had borrowed to pay recruitment agents in their home countries to secure their jobs in Qatar.
A Nepalese worker said, “We don’t want to go back. We are poor. We need to work.”
The man said he was forced to pay $1,000 in recruitment fees to secure the job.
“I haven’t paid the fees yet, I will be a loser if I get sent back,” he added.
Other workers are in a state of confusion. While it was decided to send them back to their countries, they were told they might be recalled following the World Cup.
Most of them face the grim reality of not being paid for up to six months while they wait to see if they will be able to return.
All workers interviewed said they had no choice but to leave.
One worker said that many of his colleagues have already been sent home “and some are on the list”, before adding: “If your name is on the list, you should go.”
Ansar Ali, a worker from India, said he paid a recruitment agent there more than $1,000 to secure his job, and revealed that he borrowed the money at a 10% interest rate, to bear the fees, as he thought he might repay over two years of work.
But only 10 months following arriving in Qatar, he said, “I don’t know when I will be sent, but I know I will have to go.. Two or three of my friends have already been notified.”
Then he continued: “How will I live when I return? How will I pay off my debts?”
Most of the affected workers appear to have been placed on short-term “visas”, where they were told they would work for at least two years.
Letters that include employment contracts promise annual leave and a round-trip airfare following two years, and require a two-month notice period following two or more years of service.
Some workers blamed recruitment agencies in their home countries for falsely promising a two-year contract.
Others said the responsibility rests with the contractor, with one saying, “This is the company’s fault because they made the agreement with the agent.”
A study conducted by Mig-rights.org, an organization affiliated with the organization “Mig Rights” that advocates for the rights of migrant workers in the Gulf, revealed similar cases among workers who were recently returned to Nepal by a number of the largest construction companies in Qatar.
Some workers told the organization that they had not received their full salaries, overtime pay or end-of-service benefits.
Others said they were sent home before their contracts expired.
“Who cares regarding us?”
A worker who has worked in Qatar for 12 years, including a number of World Cup stadiums, said: “How wonderful it would be for workers to watch the matches in the stadiums we built ourselves, but who cares regarding us?”
“It is critical for the Qatari government to put workers’ rights at the forefront of any decisions and to ensure that the people who made Qatar’s dream of hosting the World Cup a reality do not face off,” said May Romanos, Amnesty International.
A Qatari official said in a statement carried by the newspaper that there is no government demand for companies to return their employees or reduce their workforce before the World Cup.
He said, “The measures to reduce the workforce in companies must be in accordance with the law and this should not negatively affect employees.”
He also stated that the Labor Law allows employers and employees to terminate the contract before the end of its term, as long as they adhere to the legal notice period.
He added that foreign workers have the right to change their jobs if their contract is terminated, and pointed out that there are legal procedures if the employee does not receive his wages or bonuses upon termination of his contract.
The same official added, “The State of Qatar is committed to a fair and efficient work system, and we appreciate the indispensable role of foreign workers in our economy.”
