For nearly 12 years now, the preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has shone a spotlight on the use and abuse of migrant workers in the global economy today. Hundreds of thousands of workers went into debt paying recruiters for a job placement; many were never paid what they were promised; and thousands returned only after they had died. Now the spectacle is nearly done. The pain, so well reported on, is nearly over.
So, for those migrant workers who survived, a question: where to next?
Anywhere but home
Outside his hut in Nepal’s southern plains, Ramesh is splitting bamboo to make a basket for use around the home. Since he returned from Qatar, where he helped build a bus depot, he’s been doing chores like this – household work for which he isn’t paid.
