"Qatar under fire over conditions for migrant workers," 13 Dec 2021

Qatar has not gone far enough in improving the working conditions for migrant workers in the country ahead of next year’s Fifa World Cup, a senior EU official has warned, complaining of persistent concerns about workplace accidents.

Nicolas Schmit, EU commissioner for jobs and social rights, said he met Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Qatar’s labour minister, earlier this month to discuss the measures the Gulf state has been taking to reform its labour markets, and that he had warned that working conditions remained a concern for the EU.

“He said to me that they had made some progress, that they had adopted ILO (International Labour Organization) conventions,” said Schmit. “I acknowledged that, and I said that I was still worried by the accidents which continue to occur — that health and safety and fair treatment for workers are for the European Union essential.”...

“...It is still a nightmare for workers to leave their jobs...,” said James Lynch, a founding director of FairSquare, a human rights group.

“There is also a lack of political will, with the business community in Qatar pushing back against labour mobility — so the big question is what will this issue look like once the spotlight of the World Cup fades away.”