HUMAN “How Can We Work Without Wages?”Ahmed Mansoor Abdelaziz Nouaydi Nabeel Rajab Vicki Riskin...
Transcript of HUMAN “How Can We Work Without Wages?”Ahmed Mansoor Abdelaziz Nouaydi Nabeel Rajab Vicki Riskin...
“How Can We Work Without Wages?” Salary Abuses Facing Migrant Workers Ahead of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022
H U M A N
R I G H T S
W A T C H
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
–
–
–
•
o
o
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
o
o
o
o
o
o
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
AMSTERDAM · BEIRUT · BERLIN · BRUSSELS · CHICAGO · GENEVA · JOHANNESBURG · LONDON · LOS ANGELES · MOSCOW · NAIROBI · NEW YORK · PARIS ·
SAN FRANCISCO - TOKYO · TORONTO · WASHINGTON - ZURICH
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299
Tel: 212-290-4700
Fax: 212-736-1300
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director Lama Fakih, Deputy Director Eric Goldstein, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives Nicholas Dawes, Deputy Executive Director,
Communications Iain Levine, Deputy Executive Director, Program Chuck Lustig, Deputy Executive Director, Operations Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director
Emma Daly, Communications Director Barbara Guglielmo, Finance and Administration Director Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director Frances Sinha, Human Resources Director
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Eric Goldstein, Acting Executive Director Michael Page, Deputy Director Adam Coogle, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives
Emma Daly, Deputy Executive Director, Media Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Deputy Executive Director, Advocacy
Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director Barbara Pirto, Director, Finance Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
o
•
o
o
o
o
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
AMSTERDAM · BEIRUT · BERLIN · BRUSSELS · CHICAGO · GENEVA · JOHANNESBURG · LONDON · LOS ANGELES · MOSCOW · NAIROBI · NEW YORK · PARIS ·
SAN FRANCISCO - TOKYO · TORONTO · WASHINGTON - ZURICH
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299
Tel: 212-290-4700
Fax: 212-736-1300
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director Lama Fakih, Deputy Director Eric Goldstein, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives Nicholas Dawes, Deputy Executive Director,
Communications Iain Levine, Deputy Executive Director, Program Chuck Lustig, Deputy Executive Director, Operations Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director
Emma Daly, Communications Director Barbara Guglielmo, Finance and Administration Director Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director Frances Sinha, Human Resources Director
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Eric Goldstein, Acting Executive Director Michael Page, Deputy Director Adam Coogle, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives
Emma Daly, Deputy Executive Director, Media Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Deputy Executive Director, Advocacy
Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director Barbara Pirto, Director, Finance Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director
AMSTERDAM · BEIRUT · BERLIN · BRUSSELS · CHICAGO · GENEVA · JOHANNESBURG · LONDON · LOS ANGELES · MOSCOW · NAIROBI · NEW YORK · PARIS ·
SAN FRANCISCO - TOKYO · TORONTO · WASHINGTON - ZURICH
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299
Tel: 212-290-4700
Fax: 212-736-1300
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director Lama Fakih, Deputy Director Eric Goldstein, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives Nicholas Dawes, Deputy Executive Director,
Communications Iain Levine, Deputy Executive Director, Program Chuck Lustig, Deputy Executive Director, Operations Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director
Emma Daly, Communications Director Barbara Guglielmo, Finance and Administration Director Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director Frances Sinha, Human Resources Director
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Eric Goldstein, Acting Executive Director Michael Page, Deputy Director Adam Coogle, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives
Emma Daly, Deputy Executive Director, Media Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Deputy Executive Director, Advocacy
Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director Barbara Pirto, Director, Finance Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director
AMSTERDAM · BEIRUT · BERLIN · BRUSSELS · CHICAGO · GENEVA · JOHANNESBURG · LONDON · LOS ANGELES · MOSCOW · NAIROBI · NEW YORK · PARIS ·
SAN FRANCISCO - TOKYO · TORONTO · WASHINGTON - ZURICH
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299
Tel: 212-290-4700
Fax: 212-736-1300
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director Lama Fakih, Deputy Director Eric Goldstein, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives Nicholas Dawes, Deputy Executive Director,
Communications Iain Levine, Deputy Executive Director, Program Chuck Lustig, Deputy Executive Director, Operations Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director
Emma Daly, Communications Director Barbara Guglielmo, Finance and Administration Director Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director Frances Sinha, Human Resources Director
M I D D L E E A S T A N D N O R T H A F R I C A D I V I S I O N
Eric Goldstein, Acting Executive Director Michael Page, Deputy Director Adam Coogle, Deputy Director
Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director
A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E
Asli Bali, Co-Chair
Kathleen Peratis Co-Chair
Bruce Rabb Vice-Chair
Gary G. Sick, Vice-Chair
Fouad Abdelmoumni
Gamal M. Abouali
Yasser Akkaoui
Hala Al-Dossari
Salah Al Hejailan
Ghanim Al-Najjar
Lisa Anderson
David Bernstein
Hanaa Edwar
Bahey El Din Hassan
Hassan Elmasry
Mansour Farhang
Loubna Freih Georges
Amr Hamzawy
Asos Hardi
Shawan Jabarin
Marina Pinto Kaufman
Youssef Khlat
Marc Lynch
Ahmed Mansoor
Abdelaziz Nouaydi
Nabeel Rajab
Vicki Riskin
Charles Shamas
Sussan Tahmasebi
Christophe Tanghe
H u m a n R i g h t s W a t c h
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director Michele Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Development and Global initiatives
Emma Daly, Deputy Executive Director, Media Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Deputy Executive Director, Advocacy
Walid Ayoub, Information Technology Director Barbara Pirto, Director, Finance Babatunde Olugboji, Deputy Program Director Dinah PoKempner, General Counsel
Tom Porteous, Deputy Program Director James Ross, Legal and Policy Director Joe Saunders, Deputy Program Director
hrw.org
(above) A football match in 2011 in Doha, Qatar. © 2011 Sean Gallup/Getty Images
(front cover illustration) © 2020 John Holmes for Human Rights Watch
In less than 1,000 days Qatar is set to host the FIFA World Cup 2022. To build – and eventually deliver – this colossal undertaking, Qatar relies heavily on migrant workers, who represent about 95 per cent of the country’s labor force. Migrant workers power the service sector of the entire country, and they are responsible for building the stadiums, the necessary infrastructure, and the grand hotels needed to accommodate fans, athletes, and reporters. These workers leave home for Qatar hoping for better livelihoods and instead are often met with crippling wage abuses.
Through a series of 93 interviews with migrant workers from over 60 employers in Qatar, Human Rights Watch found glaring wage abuses including delayed, underpaid, and unpaid wages. Often, Human Rights Watch found migrant workers struggling to make ends meet, trapped in jobs that pay them less than what they were promised, working far beyond 8 hours a day without receiving overtime compensation, and unable to access mechanisms of redress out of fear of retaliation. At the heart of these abuses lies the kafala system, a labor governance system that creates a deep power imbalance between migrant workers and employers.
This report calls on the Qatari government to abolish the kafala system, improve its wage monitoring systems, speed up its redress mechanisms, and adopt measures that ensure no migrant worker is denied the salary they have earned.