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offered himself voluntarily.” 114 According to the ILO, “menace of penalty” can include: “…
financial penalties, denunciation to authorities—including police and immigration—and
deportation, dismissal from current employment, exclusion from future employment, and
the removal of rights and privileges.” 115 Human Rights Watch spoke to workers who said
they had requested their employer’s permission to quit their job, and had been refused
such permission unless they paid additional money. For example, Raju S., a 20-year-old
worker from Nepal, said that an agent told him he would work as an office boy in Qatar,
and make 1200 riyals (US$329) per month. He paid the agent 130,000 Nepali rupees
(US$1,781). When he arrived, his employer gave him a contract to work as a “construction
helper,” making only 600 riyals (US$165) per month. When he initially refused to work, his
employer said he would have to pay an additional 1000 riyals (US$275) to break his
contract. He told Human Rights Watch, “I have this loan, so I’ll end up staying.” 116 Sharif A.,
a local construction company owner, said, “A lot of companies here take advantage of [the
worker]. They know he’s stuck here, [and that] he owes money. So they take advantage.” 117
Qatari law does not specifically require employers to pay all employment-related recruiting
fees, regardless of where they are charged, or to reimburse workers for any such fees they
may have paid. 118 Even in some cases where employers did pay such recruiting fees,
Human Rights Watch found that employers shifted recruitment costs to workers by
deducting their wages upon arrival, leaving many workers with debts on top of those
incurred in their home countries. Himal K., an 18-year-old worker from Nepal who had
worked in Qatar for one year, said that to cover his visa fee, his employer deducted 100
riyals (US$27) from his salary for four months, then 50 riyals (US$14) each month
thereafter. He understood that 1400 riyals (US$384) would be deducted in total from his
salary. Himal K. said he also paid 100,000 Nepali rupees (US$1,364) to an agent in Nepal
to get his job. He questioned his company supervisor about the salary deductions, since
he had paid fees already. “My company manager said, ‘that’s not our problem. Our
agreement is [for you] to pay [the fees] here.’” 119
114 ILO Convention No. 29 concerning Forced or Compulsory Labor, adopted June 28, 1930, entered into force May 1, 1932, art. 2.
115 ILO, A Global Alliance Against Forced Labour: Global Report under the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights of Work (Geneva: ILO, 2005), p. 6.
116 Human Rights Watch interview with Raju S., Doha Industrial Area, June 20, 2011.
117 Human Rights Watch interview with Sherif A., Doha Seef Hotel, May 30, 2011.
118 Law No.14 of 2004, art.33 states: “[T]he person who is licensed to recruit workers from abroad for others shall be
prohibited from doing the following: 1) to receive from the worker any sums representing recruitment fees or expenses or any
other costs.”
119 Human Rights Watch interview with Himal K., Doha Industrial Area, May 27, 2011.
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