MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Qatar: situation of migrant workers
19.11.2013 - (2013/2952(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Ryszard Czarnecki, Adam Bielan on behalf of the ECR Group
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its resolution of 24 March 2011 on European Union relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council,
- having regard to the EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting in Manama, Bahrain on 30 June 2013,
- having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families of 18 December 1990,
- having regard of the announcement of FIFA on 2 December 2010 regarding the attribution of the venue of the 2022 Football World Cup to Qatar,
- having regard the mission statement by UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau on 10 November 2013,
- having regard to Rule 122 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Qatar has a population of 2 million, and nearly 88% of the workforce are migrants employed largely in construction, services and domestic works;
B. whereas at least 1.5 million more migrant workers are expected in Qatar to accelerate the construction in preparation of the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar; whereas India and Nepal are the two main countries of origin of the migrant workers in Qatar;
C. whereas the visa sponsorship rules known as the "kafala-system" means that workers cannot change jobs without their employer’s permission and cannot leave the country unless their employer signs an exit permit;
D. whereas migrant workers can be detained and deported for solely "running away";
E. whereas the ILO has established a tripartite committee to review the evidence and make recommendations to the Government of Qatar on how to comply with its international commitments;
1. Acknowledges that Qatari authorities face particular difficulties in managing a national labour force where migrant workers make up 90% of the total labour force;
2. Regrets the deaths of migrant workers in Qatar and expresses its condolences to their families;
3. Calls on the Qatari authorities to ensure effective implementation of existing labour legislation, by enforcing the prohibition against the confiscation of passports, prosecuting violations and imposing credible sanctions on companies and individuals who violate existing laws designed to protect migrants' rights;
4. Encourages the Qatari authorities to review the "kafala-system" used to regulate the relationship between employers and migrant workers, and to consider moving towards a regulated open labour market, where the work permit would allow the worker to change employer;
5. Is concerned about the detention of individuals for the sole purpose of having “run away” from their employer, and calls on the Qatari authorities to ensure that all migrants deprived of their liberty have means of contacting their family, consular services, have access to a lawyer and interpreter, and have the right to promptly challenge their detention;
6. Is encouraged by the commitment by the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee to ethical recruitment, and to developing employment standards in line with international human rights and labour standards, in order to ensure that workers’ rights will be respected in relation to the preparations of the 2022 FIFA World Cup;
7. Welcomes the proposal by the relevant Qatari governmental authorities to conduct investigations into all allegations and the promise of the Qatari authorities to increase the number of labour inspectors who should monitor the enforcement of proper labour laws;
8. Welcomes the announcement by the Qatari government of a blacklisting of companies that abuse migrant workers;
9. Notes the different complaint mechanisms already available for migrants, including in the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Interior and the National Human Rights Committee; Calls on the Qatari authorities to ensure that migrants are fully informed of and enjoy unrestricted access to these complaint mechanisms,
10. Welcomes the decision of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee to set up an office for the Nepalese community to receive complaints;
11. Notes the call of the international footballers' union, FIFPro, for independent workplace experts appointed by FIFA and the ILO to be given access to all sites and powers to make binding recommendations to ensure international labour standards are respected in Qatar;
12. Instructs its president to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the government and parliaments of the Member States, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the UN High Commissioner for human rights, the Government and Parliament of the State of Qatar.