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Home News & Reports Trapped Nepali worker leaves Qatar after 13 years; Systemic issues still cause forconcern

Trapped Nepali worker leaves Qatar after 13 years; Systemicissues still cause for concernShare Find us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Find us on ... Share this via emailOct 19 2014

With one small bag and little to show for his 13 years in Qatar, Roshan Kumar reached Katmandu on themorning of October 18.Around 7 a.m. the day prior, he stepped out of the detention centre, what he calls the jail. I was worriedmy name was not on the list last two days, but it was on the emergency list. They are taking me to theairport now. The excitement is palpable.A few days earlier, a Qatar-based civil society organisation managed to pay the money required to fundhis ticket to Kathmandu.But Roshans story started much before this. About 13 years earlier. You can read more about his storyhere on Migrant-Rights.org.

Roshan Kumar of Nepal has been in Qatar for 19 years, but to say that he has lived in Qatarwould be too wide a statement. The last time he had been home was in 1996 and since 2001,he has been in and out of jails and detention centres, and has headed to the airport half adozen times only to be stopped at immigration. For the last 17 months, he has been in Block 7 of the Deportation and Detention center aplace of hope as far as he is concerned, as its one step away from taking a flight to his homecountry, to see his wife and his three children after 17 long years. His youngest son was just ababe in arms when he left home. His story is an extreme case of the kafala systems insidious restrictiveness.

Soon after his case came to light, Amnesty International worked closely with Qatars National HumanRights Committee (NHRC) to secure his release.Amnesty Internationals researcher on migrant rights, James Lynch says, "When we heard about Roshan'scase we asked the National Human Rights Committee's assistance to investigate what could be preventinghim from leaving and how it could be resolved. We are grateful for their intervention, which seems tohave resulted in Roshan's travel ban finally being lifted."His family had been anxious as a whole day had passed since his departure from Qatar but he hadnt

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reached Kathmandu yet. However, several flight delays and long transits later, Roshan landed inKathmandu, and took a solo taxi ride through Kathmandu to reach home.My country, so I cant forget the route, but so much has changed. And when I reached home, I saw myfamily. Now all my sisters are home. Everyone is here, he said on a phone call, straining to be heard overall the noise and revelry in the background. His children are now young adults 18, 21 and 24."Roshan's case raises some very serious questions about why the Ministry of Interior was unable to securehis departure itself he should have been able to go home long ago. It also highlights the apparentisolation people in the detention centre. Roshan should have had legal aid to help him sort out his courtissue. Instead he was marooned in a centre which does not even allow detainees to have mobile phones,says Lynch, underlining the systemic legal and administrative issues migrants endure.Meanwhile, Roshan, on a call from Kathmandu, makes a plea:

There are so many people in the detention centre. Some have committed crimes, but thereare few who are there for no reason at all, and no one to help them. Someone should helpthem. All of you should help.

Posted In Documentation, GCC, Nepal, Qatar, Slavery, Workers, Working conditions

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