Amnesty International slams Qatar for failing to protect domestic helpers

An international human rights group has slammed Qatar for failing to protect foreign maids and other domestic workers from exploitation, adding pressure on the Gulf state over its labour practices as it gears up to host soccer's 2022 World Cup.

Amnesty International said in a report released yesterday that the migrant workers in the natural-gas-rich country face abuse including forced labour, excessively long work hours, verbal harassment, and physical and sexual violence.

Its researchers spoke to women who reported working as many as 100 hours per week with no days off, and others who were banned from leaving the house.

Like millions of other migrant workers in the region, their residency in the country is tied to their employers through a sponsorship system that stops workers from easily changing jobs.

"Women who find themselves in abusive households face utterly miserable conditions," Audrey Gaughran, the group's global issues director, said in a statement. "They have few options - if they choose to simply get out of the house, they will be branded 'runaways' and are likely to end up being detained and deported."

Opec member Qatar has come under increasing fire over its treatment of foreign workers, particularly those working in a booming construction industry raising plush villas and cutting-edge skyscrapers from the sand.