Amnesty International: Worker Exploitation and Civil Liberties Crackdown Persist in Qatar Despite Reform Promises

Amnesty International has reopened scrutiny over Qatar’s human rights record in a sharply worded report, stating that Qatari authorities remain unable to halt abuses linked to migrant labor, public freedoms, and women’s rights despite years of official pledges and reforms introduced during the country’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In its annual global report released on April 21, the organization said that thousands of migrant workers in Qatar continue to endure what it described as an “exploitative” labor system, with delayed wages, weak access to judicial remedy, and employers still exercising overwhelming control over residency status, mobility, and the ability to change jobs. According to Amnesty, the much-publicized labor reforms have largely remained cosmetic, falling short of producing tangible change on the ground.

The report delivered direct criticism to Doha over its failure to ensure justice and compensation for thousands of workers subjected to abuse during World Cup-related construction projects, including cases involving work-related deaths, injuries, and unpaid wages. Amnesty argued that both Qatari authorities and international sporting bodies failed to meet their obligations toward the labor force that bore the heaviest burden of the country’s massive infrastructure expansion.

On civil liberties, the organization said freedom of expression and peaceful assembly remain under strict restrictions, with continued pressure on dissenting voices and the use of broadly worded laws granting state institutions extensive powers of surveillance, censorship, and detention. The report also pointed to ongoing cases of arbitrary detention and the absence of fair trial guarantees in several sensitive files.

Amnesty further highlighted the persistence of legal discrimination, noting that women in Qatar remain subject to male guardianship-related restrictions that continue to limit their freedom in matters such as marriage, employment, travel, and access to certain healthcare services. Religious and sexual minorities, the report added, also continue to face legal and social constraints.

The organization also criticized what it called a contradiction between Qatar’s official environmental discourse and its continued expansion in liquefied natural gas production. It said the country’s climate pledges remain of limited impact as long as Doha continues consolidating its position as one of the world’s leading exporters of fossil fuels.

The report places Qatar once again under renewed pressure from international rights groups at a time when the Gulf state is seeking to project an image of reform and openness in the post-World Cup era. Yet successive human rights assessments suggest that many of the country’s most fundamental issues remain far from genuine resolution.