Doha:Migrants who have worked for nearly a year without pay on a Qatar skyscraper are facing severe food shortages and cannot leave or seek other employment,Amnesty said.
Qatar has come under mounting criticism from rights groups, particularly after being chosen to host the 2022 World Cup, which has spotlighted the conditions of migrant workers in the gas-rich monarchys booming construction industry.
Amnesty a non-governmental organisation focused on human rights with over 3 million members and supporters around the world urged Qatari authorities to address the plight of 80 migrant workers, mostly from Nepal, who are working for the Lee Trading and Contracting (LTC) company, saying they are working in conditions that may amount to forced labour.
“They have not been paid for nearly a year and can not even buy food to sustain themselves on a day-to-day basis. They also can not afford to send money back home to their families or to pay off debts,” said Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International.
Because of Qatars restrictive sponsorship system, the workers are unable to seek employment at another company.
The group includes around 60 Nepalese workers as well as others from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Nigeria, China and Bangladesh.
