Sunday, January 26, 2014

Investigation claims 185 Nepali migrant workers died in Qatar



A non-governmental organisation (NGO) has claimed that some 382 Nepali migrant workers died in Qatar in the past two years.
Pravasi Nepali Co-ordination Committee (PNCC) also claimed that the number could rise as very less cases have been brought to light.
"FIFA and the government of Qatar promised to take action to ensure the safety of workers building the stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup," the NGO said, adding that the rising number has revealed that they have not kept their promise.
Most of the young Nepali migrant workers have reached Gulf especially Qatar – recently – in search of employment due to lack of jobs back home. According to Amnesty International (AI), there are 1.35 million migrant workers in Qatar. "A study from the humanitarian organisation claimed Qatar's construction sector is rife with abuse and some projects seriously exploit people."
Its not a new news that the Gulf countries abuse migrant workers, but the Qatar death reveals that they disregard also for the basic human rights of migrant workers.
Most of the unskilled Nepali migrant workers have been involved in the construction sector in Qatar but the government has not been able to guarantee the safety of the migrant Nepali workers, who have been sending remittance to help float economy even during the last decade of insurgency. However, the government has not been able to calculate the cost of remittance as everyday around six coffins return and there is a huge social trauma among the children in the rural areas due to absence of their parents.

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