Qatar reassures Indian migrant workers |
Qatar has reassured India that labour reforms will improve the conditions of more than half a million Indian migrants, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns of abuses during a weekend visit to the Gulf state. Qatar is home to 630,000 Indian nationals, the single largest group of migrants in the country of 2 million. Many work in low paid construction jobs, building stadiums and other infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup.Rights groups accuse Qatar of abusive labour laws and forcing migrants to work under poor safety conditions. Unions and labour protests are banned, and authorities penalise dissent with jail or deportation.A joint government statement said Modi met with Qatar`s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thaniy and discussed the plight of Indian migrants.The Qatari side briefed the Indian side on the reform in labour laws which would protect the interest of skilled and unskilled labour in Qatar. Modi thanked the Qatari leadership for "hosting the Indian community and for ensuring their continued welfare and safety."Qatar is an important partner for India, with bilateral trade in 2014-15 exceeding $15 billion. It is also one of India`s key sources of crude oil.
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