There are an estimated 4,000 people living in modern slavery in Qatar (GSI 2018). Qatar is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labour and, to a much lesser extent, forced prostitution. Men and women from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and other countries voluntarily migrate to Qatar as unskilled laborers and domestic workers, often paying illegal and exorbitant fees to unscrupulous recruiters in the labour-sending countries, thereby increasing their vulnerability to debt bondage. Some workers subsequently face conditions indicative of involuntary servitude, to include restricted movement, payment withholding, passport confiscation, exit permit retention, and threats of deportation or abuse. Individuals in Qatar sell visas to migrants and occasionally demand regular payments, enabling migrant workers to work illegally and without legal recourse against their respective sponsors, although reportedly this trend is on the decline.
Contrary to what she was promised in her contract, 26-year-old LL had to wake up at 03:30 and work all day without proper breaks until 21:30 or 22:00.
The dog sleeps in the kitchen at night, so I have to clean the kitchen first thing in the morning, then I have to clean the yard outside. My employer wakes up at 05:00 so at 04:30 I prepare breakfast. The work is too hard, physically and emotionally. It’s not what I was promised when I was recruited ... when I got here the contract wasn’t applied; the hours are much longer than what I was promised. I was promised 8 hours a day.
Narrative provided by Amnesty International
