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18 May 2015
Press release
‘The mask has slipped again’ say Anti-Slavery International about Qatar’s efforts to improve workers’ rights
Anti-Slavery International today said that Qatari government’s moves to improve the worker’s conditions is just a PR exercise and nothing more after BBC crew investigating workers’ right were arrested and harassed.
Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International said:
‘Qatar has been presenting a face of concern to the world on the issue of workers’ rights but the arrests of the BBC crew investigating the conditions of migrant workers in Qatar show that a mask has slipped. Qatari government’s moves to improve the worker’s conditions is a PR exercise and nothing more.
‘Arrests and harassment of journalists and researchers looking at migrant labourers’ conditions in Qatar is nothing new – our former colleague from Anti-Slavery was arrested and held incommunicado only last year.
‘But the fact that it happened to high profile journalists invited to the country by its own Labour Minister shows what Qatar really is about when it comes to protecting migrant workers’ rights.
‘Instead of removing the kafala system that ties workers to their employers, ensuring all workers are paid agreed wages and living in decent conditions Qatari government prefers to build a Potemkin village and use a London based PR company to show it to the western media.
‘It’s time for the world to open its eyes on how Qatar really responds to scrutiny of its workers’ conditions and time for everyone involved in the World Cup to act, from FIFA, to its sponsors, national federations, not to mention PR firms who take part in the cover up operation of the workers’ rights abuses.’
Note to editors:
For any queries or to arrange interviews please contact Anti-Slavery Press Officer Jakub Sobik on 0207 501 8934, mobile 07789 936 383 or on j.sobik@antislavery.org.
