Qatar, a Persian Gulf nation with vast fossil fuel reserves, is rich. Besides hosting the 2022 Football World Cup, Qatar has much to discuss, especially with economists. In 2021, the typical Qatari produced $61,000 in GDP. Despite its modest size, its population has grown from 650,000 in 2000 to almost 2.7 million in 2022.
This huge rise in population was caused by migrant workers, most of whom were young men from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, and other developing countries. Before and during the World Cup, global media highlighted the migrant workers in Qatar. As reported in countless publications, thousands of young men who worked in Qatar died terribly. These labourers must be driven to return to the desert by a powerful force, given their appalling working conditions halfway across the globe.
These employees’ earnings, however little to most people in developed nations, may change their families’ lives back home. The total amount of money these workers make may also affect the economies of their home countries, sometimes badly. Qatar is a great place for economists to study the causes and effects of migrant labour on both the home country and the host country.
This is a major concern. Today, 5% of the global workforce is made up of migrants, and as the globe gets more linked, that figure will rise. Labour migration is nothing new, but Qatar is unique in having approximately 90% of its people be non-citizens.
How does migrant labour benefit employees, host nations, and home countries? What are those nations’ economic risks? Can this procedure be managed to prevent these issues and improve working conditions? As global labour becomes more migratory, these considerations are crucial.
Qatar has improved migrant worker working conditions. New labour regulations and a worker abuse reporting system have been enacted. However, many activists and human rights groups believe Qatar’s migrant workers should be better protected and treated.
Countries should properly control migrant labour recruitment, so employees know what to expect before leaving home. This would prevent employees from being misled about their jobs and living situations. Governments should also assure employees equitable wages, housing, healthcare, and other critical amenities.
Migrant labour is critical to the economies of both the host and home countries. They boost economic growth and job creation in both nations. Thus, host and home nations must collaborate on migrant worker rights and well-being regulations.
This could mean making the working conditions of migrant workers better and helping them become part of the host community so they can get an education, health care, and other services. Governments should also collaborate to safeguard migrant workers from discrimination and abuse.
As Qatar prepares to host the 2022 World Cup, the government must continue to improve migrant labour conditions and solve challenges. Fair pay, housing, healthcare, and protection from abuse and exploitation are essential. To solve these problems and protect the rights of migrant workers, the government must work with NGOs and the international community.
Qatar’s migrant labour problem demands a multifaceted approach. The government has improved migrant worker working conditions, but more has to be done. Governments, businesses, and international organisations must collaborate to protect the rights and dignity of migrant workers. We can build a fairer society by doing so.
