Islamic ethics and migrant labor in Qatar

Islamic ethics such as opposition to usury, the proper and timely payment of wages, thetreatment and protection of labour are being challenged in many Arab states that employmigrant workers from Asia. In this paper it will be argued that the recruitment of Asianmigrant labor, particularly to the Gulf States, includes violations of these principles. Lack oftransparency and corruption in both Muslim and non-Muslim labor recruitment results in adistortion of labor supply that is based more upon ability to pay, rather than the ability towork. Coupled with the biopolitics of the kafala system of sponsorship control, migrantworkers can become trapped in a structure of recruitment and employment that leads to debtbondage, forced labor, human trafficking and restrictions to freedom of movement. Remediesfor the elimination of these practices, based upon human and labour rights that are supportedby principles of Islamic ethics, are suggested in a context of increasing pressure andwillingness to institute reforms. The analysis is based upon a qualitative study conducted in2012-13 on the recruitment of migrant labor commissioned by the Qatar Foundation.