Abolish Absconding Charges
Summary
Date Reported: 20 Nov 2020
Location: Qatar
Other
Not Reported ( Transport: General ) - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: 1
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 1 - Sri Lanka , Transport: General , Gender not reported )Issues
Intimidation , Restricted mobility , Withholding Passports , Wage Theft , Freedom of MovementResponse
Response sought: No
Action taken: He was referred to a court where he had to clear the absconding charge against him before applying for a sponsorship transfer. He did not have proper interpretation and two days before he was due to appear he developed appendicitis and had emergency surgery. The hospital reported him to the authorities, he was detained and deported.
Source type: NGO
Gulf states encourage employers to file 'absconding' charges against workers who fail to show up to work. Workers who are reported as absconding are vulnerable to detention, deportation, and loss of any claims to owed wages or other grievances. Employers often misuse this power to threaten or punish workers who complain and they generally face no consequences for false reporting. Workers, in turn, have almost no opportunity to contest these charges: whether workers left employment due to abuse or wage theft, or did not leave at all, workers have almost no opportunity to contest these charges.
Gulf states must end the criminalisation of absconding and establish more permissive procedures for workers to leave their employment.