Wetin poverty look like for Qatar?

Qatar, di host kontri of di 2022 World Cup, don become one of di richest kontris in di world, only at di same time e get extreme poverty for certain areas but we dey hardly tok about am. 

Foreigners wey represent 90% of im population na di most affected by di population.

For 1971, wen Qatar gain independence from di United Kingdom, e get gross domestic product of around US$400 million. Today, im economy dey estimated at $180 billion, wey be increase of 45,000%. 

Di discovery of oil and natural gas – togeda, dis two natural resources represent more dan half of di kontri income. 

Wit so much money, di small nation attract plenti number of migrants and dem fit invest massively in infrastructure, wit ogbonge constructions for di middle of di desert. 

Di kontri don also virtually “eliminate” poverty, at least according to wetin official statistics show. 

But in fact, dis data no take into consideration one ogbonge tin wey dey affect Qatari society. 

Qatar now get about 3 million inhabitants. Only 350,000 or about 10% of di population na natives, di rest na foreigners. 

However, dem no dey treat natives and foreigners wey dey live for Qatar di same way. 

Pipo wey be citizens of di kontri dey entitled to a number of social benefits, like free access to di health system, housing assistance and transport assistance. 

So e no dey surprising say no poor pipo dey dis group. 

And sake of official statistics dey usually based only on di income of Qataris, di world dey usually see di image of a kontri wey no get poverty. 

But dis no be true!

Foreigners, wey make up much of di population, many of dem from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, dey live in extreme poverty. 

Dis migrants, wey dey comot dia kontri of origin to escape poverty and find financial stability, dey forced to accept low wages in addition to di anyhow working conditions. 

Thousands of foreign workers don die, for example, for di construction of stadiums and infrastructure since dem choose di kontri to host di World Cup. 

Unequal treatment

To give you an idea of ​​di situation, one migrant worker wey work for construction dey earn around $2,000 per year. Qatari citizens get an average salary of around $700,000 per year. 

Under di law, dem no dey treat foreigners same way as natives. 

Recently, di kafala (sponsorship system, in Arabic) mean say migrant workers no fit comot di kontri or change jobs without di permission of di employer. 

If dem change jobs without dis authorization, dem go consider dem as "escaped" criminals, wey fit lead to arrest, detention and den deportation. 

Qatari employers also dey known to seize employees dia passports, keep dem in di kontri indefinitely. We dey tok about forced labor charges. 

For December 2016, Qatar pass one law wey dey allow workers wey don complete dia contract to freely change jobs and dem also impose fines on companies wey dey seize employees dia passports.

But to withhold passport or identity card still dey legally possible if e get written consent. Many foreign workers don accept dis option. 

Anoda barrier wey concern all migrants for Qatar na di initial recruitment fees wey workers dey usually pay to recruiters before dem settle in di kontri. 

Di moni dey between 500 and 3,500 dollars. Dem get di obligation to pay dis amount before dem comot dia kontri of origin to find a job. 

E dey important to remember say, unlike Brazil, wia e be say e dey enough to be born for Brazil to be Brazilian citizens. For Qatar, if di mama na Qatari and di papa na foreigner, di child no get Qatari nationality. 

Finally, for 2020, afta international pressure and threat to lose di right to host di World Cup, Qatar become di first Arab kontri to remove di Kafala system, wey allow migrant workers to change jobs without permission or authorization from dia employer. 

Dem also set one minimum wage for all workers, e no mata di migrant nationality. Qatar na di second kontri for Arab world to do so, afta Kuwait. 

Di changes also affect migrant workers wey no dey under labor law protections, like domestic workers. 

However, oda legal provisions wey dey favor di mistreatment and exploitation of migrant workers still dey. 

According to di NGO Human Rights Watch, “Migrant workers – and dia dependents – must always rely on dia employers to facilitate entry, residence and employment for di kontri, wey mean say employers dey responsible for application, renewal and cancellation of dia residence and work permits”. 

“Workers fit dey undocumented without blame wen employers fail to complete dat kain process, and na dem, no be dia employers, wey dey suffer di consequences,” HRW tok for one 2020 report.  

"Qatar continue to impose harsh penalties for 'escape' wen migrant worker comot from dia employer without permission or stay for di kontri beyond di allowed grace period afta dia permit expire or dem revoke dia stay. Penalties include fines, detention, deportation and one entry ban,” e add. 

Last year, HRW point out say foreign workers still dey suffer "illegal wage deductions" and face "months of unpaid wages for long hours of serious work". 

And according to Amnesty International, companies continue to pressure workers to prevent dem from changing employers. 

One Qatari goment tok-tok pesin tell BBC say reforms wey di kontri implement dey improve working conditions for most foreign workers. 

Di tok-tok pesin say "Significant progress don happun to make sure say dem effectively implement dis reforms,"

“Di number of companies wey dey break di rules go continue to reduce as we dey enforce di measures we don implement,” e add.

World Cup

For di World Cup, Qatar build seven stadiums, in addition to one new airport, one metro system, some roads and around 100 new hotels.

Dem give an entire city a makeover and even around di stadium wey go host di final match.

Di Qatari goment say dem hire 30,000 foreign workers just to build di stadiums. Most dey come from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and di Philippines.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka don die for Qatar since dem choose di kontri to host di World Cup.

Dis number dey based on data wey di kontri embassies for Qatar provide.

Meanwhile, di Qatari goment say di figure no dey accurate as not all of di death dem record na of pipo wey dey work for World Cup-related projects.

Im add say as many of those wey die work for Qatar for several years and fit don die of old age or oda natural causes.

Di Qatari goment say dia accident record show say between 2014 and 2020 e get 37 worker fatalities for construction work for di World Cup stadiums, and out of am na only three dey "work-related".

However, the International Labor Organization (ILO) say dis number dey underestimated. Qatar no dey link deaths from heart attacks and respiratory failure wit working conditions, although dis na common tin for hot weather.

Di organization don compile im own figures based on World Cup-related incidents wey dem collect from public hospitals and ambulance services for Qatar.

According to di ILO, 50 foreign workers die and more dan 500 seriously injure for 2021, as anoda 37,600 suffer minor to moderate injuries.

Di BBC Arabic Service don also collect evidence wey indicate say di Qatari goment don underreport deaths among foreign workers.