World Cup 2022: Qatar expelled foreign workers after protest
After a demonstration to demand their unpaid wages, dozens of foreign workers were expelled from Qatar.
LQatar expelled dozens of foreign workers who organized a rare protest to demand their unpaid wages less than three months before the World Cup in the Gulf country, a British NGO said on Monday.
The Qatari authorities, regularly criticized by international NGOs for treating hundreds of thousands of workers from Asia especially in the major construction sites of the 2022 World Cup, confirmed the detention of the protesters but refused to say if any were been expelled.
During an August 14 protest, at least 60 workers – some of whom had not been paid for seven months – blocked traffic outside the Al Bandary company in Doha, Equidem, a consultancy organization, said in a statement. London-based human rights and labor rights specialist.
“We spoke with the protesting workers and with one who was deported to Nepal. We confirmed that he has returned home and that others from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Egypt and the Philippines have also been deported, “said Equidem Executive Director Mustafa Qadri.
The Qatari government said on Sunday that “a number of protesters have been arrested for violating public safety laws”.
“A minority of people who have not protested peacefully and have acted in violation of public safety laws are at risk of court-ordered expulsion,” he added, without giving details of the number of protesters. workers affected.
The Labor Ministry said it had paid the salaries of Al Bandary’s workers, without further details. He added that “actions” were taken against the company, already under investigation for non-payment of salaries.
The countdown has begun
The World Cup starts in the small and rich gas state on November 20th. Human rights groups stepped up their campaigns before the World Cup and asked FIFA to pay workers compensation.
But Doha defends itself by stressing that it has taken measures to improve the conditions of foreign workers, imposing a minimum wage and banning the omnipotence of some employers who prevented their employees from leaving the country or changing jobs.