New laws were passed offering migrant workers better legal protections. Despite government measures to control the spread of COVID-19, migrant workers bore the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. The authorities further tightened restrictions on freedom of expression. Women continued to face...

Responding to news that the Qatari government has announced it will introduce legislation to reform its abusive ‘kafala’ sponsorship scheme, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director of Global Issues, Stephen Cockburn said: “We have long called for the end of the abusive Kafala system in Qatar, and...

The plight of migrant workers who continue to be abused and exploited while working in Qatar will cast a shadow over the World Athletics Championships, Amnesty International said ahead of the showpiece sporting event which starts this week. The Doha 2019 competition, which runs from Friday 27...

New research by Amnesty International has revealed the plight of hundreds of migrant workers who are still waiting in vain for unpaid wages and compensation, despite Qatar’s promises to improve workers’ rights. All work, no pay: The struggle of Qatar’s migrant workers for justice highlights how...

With less than four years to go until the 2022 World Cup, the Qatari authorities risk falling behind on their promise to tackle widespread labour exploitation of thousands of migrant workers, Amnesty International said today. In a new briefing, “Reality Check: The state of migrant workers’ rights...

Responding to news that the Emir of Qatar has issued a new law establishing a support and insurance fund for migrant workers, Steve Cockburn, Deputy Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International, said: “This fund could bring hope to hundreds of migrant workers who have been ripped off by...

A new investigation by Amnesty International has exposed how an engineering company involved in building  infrastructure linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup took advantage of Qatar’s notorious sponsorship system to exploit scores of migrant workers. The company, Mercury MENA, failed to pay its...

Qatar’s new law partially scrapping the ‘exit permit’ that prevented migrant workers from leaving the country without their employer’s permission is an important first step towards dismantling its exploitative sponsorship system, Amnesty International said today. Law No. 13 of 2018, issued by the...

A new agreement concluded between the Qatari authorities and the International Labour Organization (ILO) sets out a pathway that could lead to long-promised reform of Qatar’s abusive sponsorship system if the government delivers on the agreement in full, said Amnesty International. The organization...

The Gulf crisis that erupted in early June, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain announcing an immediate restriction of relations with Qatar, more recently has turned into a very public war of words, with political arguments being played out through satellite TV channels and newspaper opinion...

Thousands of people in the Gulf face the prospect of their lives being further disrupted and their families torn apart as new arbitrary measures announced by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the context of their dispute with Qatar are due to come into force from today,...

The government of Saudi Arabia must immediately release the imprisoned Saudi Arabian human rights activist Mohammad al-Otaibi, who is at serious risk of torture, said Amnesty International. On the night of 24 May, the persecuted activist was en route to Norway, where he had been granted refugee...

Migrant workers on Qatar 2022 World Cup construction sites continue to suffer abuse and exploitation, Amnesty International said today as the country’s flagship football venue hosts the first match since its redevelopment. Companies involved in the renovation of Khalifa International Stadium...