During an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Sheikh Thamer bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Director for Media Affairs of the Government Communications Office, said that calls to boycott the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar next year was based on misleading information reported by various media outlets, in addition to those who aimed at boycotting the global tournament was ignoring the developments made by the State of Qatar in making reforms for its labour law and promoting the rights of migrant workers. 

He stated that it was pleasant to witness over the few weeks that many football associations, NGOs and fan groups have realised that a boycott is not a constructive outcome, explaining that Qatar stronly supports the football players and the associations who use their platform to promote human rights. The reports that criticised the 2022 FIFA World Cup, however, is misplaced, and that Qatar has made tangible developments ensured on labour reforms and has shown its dedication to continue its enhancements in cooperation in accordance to its international partners.

At the interview, Sheikh Thamer bin Hamad Al Thani highlighted how reporting from The Guardian claiming the lives of 6,500 employers who died working on stadium infrastructure is both misleading and “a far cry from reality”. This reported figure and statistics included all the deaths during the past ten years of residents in Qatar from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. However, contrary to what The Guardian reports, all the individuals who lost their lives were not working on the construction sites.

Sheikh Thamer said that, “Expatriates from these countries also include students, the elderly, and workers employed in offices, retail shops, schools, and hospitals. Qatar has over 1.4 million expatriates from these countries. Only 20% of them are employed as workers in the construction sector, which accounts for less than 10% of all deaths between 2014 and 2019.”

In the interview, Sheikh Thamer bin Hamad Al Thani said that the most vital enhancement has been the dismantling of the “Kafala” system, with employers now onwards need not require an exit permit to leave the country and will be able to change jobs as they wish. He also mentioned that on 1 April 2021, Qatar carried out a compulsory and important minimum wage, the first of its kind in the Middle East, offering all additional financial security for every worker in Qatar and their families abroad.

On the health and safety front, the Deputy Director for Media Affairs of the Government Communications Office stated that “the State of Qatar has raised the standards. Outdoor work is banned during the hottest hours of the day in the summer and new technology has been introduced to keep workers cool when they are on site. Modern accommodation has been built across the country for workers, and the scope of competences of labour inspectors has been extended to monitor working conditions and conditions of accommodation”. He also stressed that the last quarter of 2020 saw more than 7,000 sentences pronounced, which varies from minor offences to more serious offences that was seen imposing of heavy fines and prison sentences. He also expounded that Qatar on continuous basis reviews its laws to ameliorate the conditions and rights of workers, at the same time making sure that the labour market is reinforced.

Talking on cooperating with international companies, Sheikh Thamer bin Hamad Al Thani said: “We have extended our agreement with the UN’s labour body, the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, which in 2018 opened an office in Qatar to support our labour reform programme.”

 

Commenting on the exploitation of recruitment agencies of migrant workers, the Deputy Director for Media Affairs of the Government Communications Office outlined that the protection of migrant workers is from exploitation even before their arrival to the country. He pointed out that Qatar has opened visa centres in the countries of origin of many workers, where the employers will now be able to sign their contracts and undergo medical examinations prior to their departure, without having to repeat the process upon arrival in Qatar. All recruitment and related costs are borne by the employer.

He further added that, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, our government has made funds available to companies for them to continue paying the salaries and rents of all workers. The State of Qatar also has a system to ensure that salaries are paid in full and on time. This system requires companies in Qatar to open bank accounts for their employees and transfer their salaries electronically Companies that violate this system are liable to a year’s imprisonment and a fine of QR10,000, which is multiplied for each violation. If they are not paid, workers may also file a complaint against their employer. These complaints are investigated by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs and, if an amicable solution cannot be found, the worker may take the case to a special disputes court, which will seek to resolve the problem within three weeks.”