In September last year, The Guardian, a UK newspaper, brought to light the mass exploitation of migrant workers in Qatar—a majority of them Nepalis—for the construction of stadiums for the 2022 World Cup. In the expose, the newspaper predicted a death toll of 4,000 by the time the stadiums are complete and caused a global outcry, leading a number of organisations, including Amnesty International and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), to harshly condemn Qatar's labour and migration policies, especially the notorious kafala system which legally ties migrants to their employers. The ITUC was scathing in its indictment, stating that workers were kept in an "apartheid situation" and were "treated like animals".

Worryingly, the global uproar does not seem to have changed much. In the month of February alone, 36 Nepali and Indian migrants died in Qatar. Many others are trapped in the country with no legal means of egress. Under the kafala system, migrants are not allowed to leave the country, change jobs or even open a bank account without their employers' permission. Oftentimes, their passports and legal documents are confiscated on arrival. This can leave migrants in the lurch, as is currently the case with 10 Nepalis who were stranded in Qatar when their employer absconded. The workers claim that they were never paid the agreed-upon salary nor issued a visa. As such, they cannot find new jobs or legally apply to leave the country.

This is but one example. Qatar is currently home to around half a million Nepalis, the majority of whom are contracted under the archaic kafala system. After braving unscrupulous agents, devious manpower companies and a grossly inefficient bureaucracy at home, these migrants, mostly poor, uneducated and from rural areas, land up in an inhospitable place with little to no language skills or knowledge of the host country's laws and customs. All too often, their work conditions border on slavery, with their movement curtailed and their salaries unpaid. Even when they receive pay, it is seldom what was agreed-to beforehand. Compounding the problem is that the Nepali embassy in Qatar continues to face chronic staffing and financial problems and thus, is quite inept at helping Nepalis in need.

In the case of the 10 stranded Nepali workers, the government must take immediate action to get them home. Additionally, the manpower company responsible for sending them to Qatar at exorbitant costs must be held accountable. Furthermore, the Nepali embassy in Qatar must be bolstered with more personnel and resources. This paper has long recommended that Nepal either partner with more powerful states like India or form a regional grouping to put pressure on Qatar to improve work conditions. This is still the best way for a small state like Nepal to present its concerns. It is essential that government take its responsibilities towards migrants seriously, especially as it is their remittances keeping the Nepali economy afloat.

Published on: 9 April 2014 | The Kathmandu Post