Case review of human rights violations in Qatar

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Case review of human rights violations in Qatar

Pen-and-NotebookThe Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants conducted an 8-day country visit (Nov. 3-10, 2013) to the state of Qatar upon the government’s invitation.  As part of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate, Mr. François Crépeau was invited to examine the state of protection for migrant workers in Qatar.  Upon the end of the country visit, the Special Rapporteur submits a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council to highlight the situation of migrants, as well as provide conclusions and recommendations for the Qatari government.  To assist in the preparation of the Special Rapporteur’s country visit, Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) prepared a qualitative analysis, including a case review on human rights violations of migrant workers in Qatar.

Case submissions by the MFA network were used in the analysis, with particular attention to the two largest groups of expat workers, Indians and Nepalis.  The analysis provided insight on the most common themes of human rights violations; including non-payment of wages, sponsor’s restrictive control of migrant’s mobility, detention of migrants, extremely hazardous working conditions resulting in serious injury or death, and unfair compensation.  Additionally, recommendations for legal redress of human rights violations were presented and comprised of the ratification and/or implementation of national laws, as well as key UN and ILO international instruments.

For recent press releases and statements related to the Special Rapporteur’s country visit to Qatar, click here.


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[Study] Something is Better than Nothing: Enhancing the protection of Indian migrant workers through Bilateral Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding

The study deals primarily with MOUs entered into by the Government of India, showing that India’s recent record has been impressive in negotiating many MOUs, and social security agreements and one labor mobility partnership. Yet, it is difficult to find much evidence that the MOUs  and agreements on labor migration have  contributed to improved protection of Indian workers in the major destinations –  the Gulf countries  and Malaysia.

However, this should not imply that India is better off without MOUs. The existence of MOUs has a political value, and they have provided a firmer foundation for the country to build upon in this regard. In this sense, an agreement or MOU is better than a situation of no agreement or MOU. The MOUs provide a broad framework but they need to be backed up by concrete initiatives in the areas of model contracts, workplace monitoring, dispute resolution mechanisms, mechanisms for access to justice, monitoring practices of recruitment agencies, and adequate labor inspection systems. While these may be harder to negotiate, they should nevertheless receive high priority if MOUs are to have operational value in protecting Indian migrant workers abroad.

Download the full article prepared for MFA by Dr. Piyasiri Wickramasekara (February 2012)