Migrant Welfare Protection

The decision by FIFA's World Cup Organising Committee to award Qatar the World Cup in 2022 continues to attract scrutiny and enquiry from both the world's media and a host of international governmental and not for profit organisations amid concerns regarding the safety, security and welfare of Qatar's migrant workforce who are helping to build the civic infrastructure to help Qatar deliver a memorable World Cup. One area of international concern is whether there is a robust framework to protect Qatar's migrant workforce. As well as ensuring that sufficient safeguards have been implemented, the Qatari authorities are being asked to demonstrate that these safeguards are being monitored and enforced consistently amongst all stakeholders and interested parties. This article aims to provide a general overview of the framework which has been established to protect Qatar's migrant workforce and the various measures which both government and quasi-government bodies have developed in this regard.

Qatar National Vision 2030 ("QNV 2030")

QNV 2030 defines the long-term outcomes for the country as a whole. It provides a framework within which national strategies and implementation plans can be developed.

QNV 2030 is premised on four key pillars. The first pillar relates to Human Development with a focus on the targeted participation of expatriate labour. A key focus for Human Development is the recruitment of the right mix of expatriate labour, protecting their rights, securing their safety and the retention of employees who are outstanding.

Charters

In the context of QNV 2030, Qatar Foundation ("QF") adopted its comprehensive Migrant Workers' Charter ("MWC") in 2012 and, more recently the Qatari 2022 Supreme Committee, now renamed the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, issued a workers' charter aimed at creating a safe working environment for the thousands of expatriate workers who are employed on the various World Cup and other projects which are and will be undertaken by QF and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

Of particular interest, the MWC commits all Contractors and Sub-Contractors to deliver the requirements set out in the MWC, the Mandatory Welfare Standards ("MWS") and all relevant Qatar laws. In addition to containing a number of fundamental guiding principles which amongst other things are designed to ensure that Contractors/Sub-Contractors exert the necessary standard of care to ensure that the dignity of employees is...

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