THE Qatar government continues to claim they are making “substantial progress” on labour reforms following a new report by Amnesty International citing continued failures to protect the rights of migrant workers.

The bloodstained Gulf state won the right to stage the 2022 World Cup in a controversial vote by football’s governing body Fifa during December 2010 and is also set to stage the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships, which start in Doha on September 27.

In the wake of delivering successful bids for the showpiece sporting events, there has been increased scrutiny over Qatar’s diabolical labour laws governing the estimated two million migrant workers who are being exploited while building the infrastructure.

The Qatari government has made a series of promises over the last decade to improve matters within the small, but oil-and-gas-rich, country.

However, yesterday human rights’ organisation Amnesty International published a 52-page report, titled All Work, No Pay: The Struggle of Qatar’s Migrant Workers For Justice, which points out that the pledges have “not yet been matched by reality.”

After signing an agreement with the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation during November 2017, the Qatari authorities passed new laws to improve workers’ rights.

Those changes including the scrapping of the most notorious element of the kafala sponsorship system, under which bosses hold migrant workers’ passports and can refuse to let them move to other jobs or leave the country.

New legislation has also introduced a temporary minimum wage, created a workers’ insurance fund and set up committees to address disputes.

However, Amnesty’s latest report shows how several hundred migrant workers employed by three construction and cleaning companies were forced to return home without being paid.

One testimony from a Kenyan migrant worker said they “had to live with very little food and no salary” and would “go to find food in the bins.”

Qatar had announced it would introduce a “Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund” to provide compensation. However, Amnesty said almost a year later it “remains unfunded and unused, despite the urgent need.”

According to Amnesty, the United States State Department estimates that more than 6,000 workers submitted complaints to Qatar’s new Committees for the Settlement of Labour Disputes during the last year.

In a statement, the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar insisted any issues implementing the reforms “will be addressed comprehensively.

“We are aware of a recent report published by Amnesty International concerning the status of workers in Qatar,” the GCO statement read. “Qatar has made substantial progress on labour reforms.

“We continue to work with NGOs (non-governmental organisations) including the International Labour Organisation, to ensure that these reforms are far-reaching and effective. Any issues or delays with our systems will be addressed comprehensively.

“We have said, from the outset, that this would take time, resources and commitment.”

Seven new stadiums are being built and one renovated for Qatar to stage the 2022 World Cup, which was moved to the winter because of concerns about the Gulf peninsula’s extreme heat during the tournament’s traditional summer slot.

Qatar’s hot climate has contributed to the deaths of migrant workers denied safe working conditions.

Following a previous report by Amnesty published during February 2019, world governing body Fifa said Qatar must make “additional progress” on improving conditions for the millions of migrant workers — Fifa were contacted for comment on the new publication.

The governing body said it was continuing to engage with the Qatar authorities to ensure “respect for the rights of workers who are involved in Fifa World Cup-related activities,” adding any issues identified would be followed up “through the appropriate channels.”

A Fifa spokesperson said: “In line with our human rights policy, Fifa and its partners involved in the preparation of the Fifa World Cup in Qatar take workers’ rights very seriously as it has been acknowledged by different international organisations in the recent past.

“We would like to note that, as confirmed by Amnesty International, the report does not concern Fifa World Cup sites. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has also confirmed that the contractors referenced in the report have never been engaged on Fifa World Cup projects in Qatar.

“In line with Amnesty International, we however acknowledge the importance of the new labour dispute committee as an important part of the broader labour rights reforms taking place in Qatar.

“We know that the Qatari authorities are working intensely in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation and other stakeholders with a view to further improve the effectiveness of this complex, but vital mechanism.

“Fifa continues to engage with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and other parties towards ensuring respect for the rights of workers who are involved in Fifa World Cup-related activities.

“Whenever an issue is identified within that scope, Fifa follows up with its Qatari counterparts through the appropriate channels.”