Qatar: Most expatriates complain that their earnings are not paid

Most complaints from migrant workers to the Ministry of Labor Catarrh relate to the non-payment of accruals, according to two International Labor Organization (ILO) reports published today, 19 days before the start of the FIFA World Cup, which the country is hosting.

The number of these complaints “has more than doubled”rising to 34,425 from October 2021 to October 2022, following the creation in 2021 of an online platform where one can submit their complaint anonymously, according to the reports, in which the ILO calls on Qatar to “continue to work towards full respect for international labor standards”.

From 2018 to 2020, Qatar, a country often criticized by international organizations and non-governmental organizations for human rights violations, mainly of migrant workers, he made significant reforms to his labor laws.

“Qatar has shown its determination to move forward his reform program“, the ILO assessed, adding nevertheless that “it is generally recognized that there are still challenges in its implementation”.

Among the reforms that remain to be implemented is “the need to check that all the employees and employers can take advantage of labor mobility laws’ from one employer to another. At the same time, according to the ILO, “the mechanisms that allow workers to submit complaints and receive the salary their”. He further noted that “the rights of domestic workers should be better protected.”

While NGOs worry that Qatar will abandon reforms after the World Cup, “the government has repeatedly pointed out that the World Cup is not the finish line” and that they are part of a program to diversify the country’s economy, which has until now mainly in its vast natural gas reserves, the ILO pointed out.

In 2014, international unions appealed against Qatar to the ILO, which in 2018 created an office in the country. The international organization is scheduled to remain at emirate until 2023, although “the government has officially and publicly asked her to acquire more permanent presence in Doha».