This report uses Qatar as a case study to examine how the global public health crisis affected destitute migrants in the Middle East and how employers and the government responded. It also makes a series of reform recommendations that would promote human rights by improving workers’ economic and living conditions.
The report’s central findings are two- fold: After a slow start, the government of Qatar provided migrant workers with free, adequate healthcare in response to the pandemic. But foreign laborers suffered economically as a result of construction delays, wage reductions, terminated contracts, and deportations. The contrast between the government’s vigorous public health campaign and its failure to protect workers’ livelihoods is key. Qatar should address migrants’ economic needs with the same energy and resourcefulness illustrated by its efforts to stem the spread of Covid-19.
The Law Council considers that the Government’s proposal, Attorney- General Department’s "Modern Slavery in Supply Chains Reporting Requirement: Public Consultation Paper and Regulation Impact Statement", requires two important changes if it is ...Read More
Developed by UNICEF, the UN Global Compact and Save the Children – the Children’s Rights and Business Principles are the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies on the full range of actions they can take in the workplace, marke...Read More
Modern Slavery Evidence Unit (MSEU) Research Briefing 11: on an article by Professor Todd Landman, May 2020 Lessons learned in the measurement of human rights can, and are, being applied to the measurement of modern slavery. The anti-slavery sect...Read More
Prompted by international scrutiny of working conditions on flagship projects in Qatar and the UAE, in 2016, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre surveyed construction companies on their approach to safeguarding migrant workers’ rights ...Read More
2025 © Copyright, RESPECT International. All Rights Reserved. Website Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
