Qatar Seeks to Hire Nepali Workers for World Cup Service Sector

Doha authorities have boosted workplace inspections in an effort to penalize businesses that violate the country's labor regulations.

The Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday that Qatar is purportedly looking to hire Nepalis for jobs in the service sector for the FIFA World Cup 2022, months before the opening match.

According to Thaneshwar Bhusal, under-secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, "we have been notified by the Nepal Embassy in Doha about the willingness exhibited by Qatari enterprises to engage Nepali workers for service sector positions during the World Cup."

Qatar is praised by a UN labor agency for its "transparency" in human rights abuses.

Bhusal stated that on Friday, "a ministerial-level decision" permitted officials to proceed with the hiring. Additionally, he said that the Nepali government "demanded a free-visa free-ticket plan for Nepali workers" at the cost of the businesses.

Further information regarding the number of employees who will be hired in the Gulf state was withheld by the Nepali official.

The announcement comes as Qatar gets ready to host at least 1.5 million football fans from around the globe for the important athletic event, which is scheduled to begin between November 21 and December 18, this year.

Throughout the planning phase, migrant labor from numerous nations has been hired in a variety of industries, including the building of World Cup stadiums.

Therefore, Bhusal said, "Nepalis should be given preference in positions in the service sector."

As the first Arab country to host the event, Qatar has attracted attention from throughout the world, particularly for the way it treats migrant labor. The Gulf state originally came under fire for lacking regulations to safeguard workers against violations of labor laws.

But it immediately reacted by bringing about historic reform, which included the abolition of the divisive Kafala, or sponsorship, program. With this method, businesses are no longer required to provide a "no objection letter" to employees who want to change jobs.

Despite the government's significant contribution to the reform, some rights organizations have found that employers continue to violate the new regulations, which has resulted in the condemnation of Qatar.

To punish businesses that violate the country’s labor rules, Qatari authorities have boosted their inspections of construction sites. The Gulf state has also increased transparency on the violations by disclosing numbers to the public.

Bhusal added that in order to assure the protection of Nepali workers, his government had spoken with Qatar.

"We have been bringing up the concern of Nepali employees' safety overseas regularly. The Qatari stakeholders as well as those in other labor destinations have been discussed, according to the Nepali official.

In the fiscal year that ended on July 16, more than 628,503 young Nepalis received work permits, but more than 1,700 of them left the country to work abroad.

According to official figures, it was stated that this was the second-highest number the nation had ever seen. The economy of Kathmandu has also benefited significantly from remittances sent back to Nepal, which has added NPR 986.2 billion ($7,766,113,953).

The report also noted that although there is a strong need for Nepali labor, most of them are inexperienced due to their poor socioeconomic status. Without receiving the proper instruction, some people end up abandoning their country.

According to statements made by workers' rights officials, a revamped pre-departure curriculum was mandated in February of last year but has not yet been put into practice.