Qatar's Kefela System

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Qatar has a word for their system and it's called Kefela. Workers who were in Qatar under the Kefela system were bound to their sponsor. The worker could not stop working even in cases of wage theft, dangerous conditions or physical abuse. There were no minimum wage protections, no right to organize, no worker voice or representation.

The people who built Qatar’s stadiums, hotels, and transit systems were employed under the country’s exploitative migrant worker system. Officials promised things would change before the World Cup, but a one-time worker says it’s only better on paper.

This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Matt Collette, engineered by Efim Shapiro, and hosted by Noel King.

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