"Rafeeq and Snoonu food delivery app riders stranded in Qatar,"

... the contract the men signed when they arrived in Doha totalled only QR1300 (US$400), comprising a basic salary of QR1000 and a QR300 food allowance, with accommodation provided. The manager also informed them that they would work as motorcycle delivery riders for Rafeeq, instead of car drivers. Though the contracted terms are in line with Qatar's minimum wage, they were far below what the men had been promised...

Despite the difference in employment terms, the men had little choice but to stay on given the steep fees they had paid to migrate...

By the third week of employment, their passports were confiscated...

Migrant-Rights.Org sought comments from Rafeeq, Snoonu, Bin Kassim, and Favorcom Recruitment Agency. No response has been received, except an auto-reply from Snoonu.

Since an email address was not available for Wafiq, MR texted Mohammed W on two of his numbers. While the message has been read, there has been no response...

The web of sponsorship and subcontracting is particularly convoluted in the gig sectors, making it easier for the sponsors and employers to shirk contractual responsibility...

Rampant wage theft across sectors is of growing concern in the GCC, including in Qatar. The Wage Protection System that is supposed to detect non-payment of wages and alert authorities, often fails its mandate...

In most gig jobs, the employment relationship is unclear. In this case, Wafiq Limousine did not have a direct contract with Rafeeq, but supplied its drivers to another company, Bin Kassim delivery services. Bin Kassim had a contract with Rafeeq, and deployed Wafiq’s employees as riders. In mid-November, Wafiq Limousine was able to secure a direct contract with Snoonu, another popular food delivery company in Qatar.

... An official at the labour office told them if they withdrew the case, the employer can ‘do anything to them’ and therefore, advised them to not withdraw. After the second hearing, the employer left them at the court, so they had to find their way back to their accommodation alone. He then retaliated by terminating their contracts, closing their phone lines, and preventing them from working. Moreover, he did not provide them with any money for food...

As they await their May court hearing, they are aware that if the employer fails to attend there are likely to be little to no repercussions. If the workers were to do the same, they would likely lose their case...

The Kenyan workers also approached their embassy for help, to no avail. They were told that if they had the money for tickets, the embassy would facilitate their repatriation. Eventually, they did consider this option, but without their documents or money, the process would be lengthy and tedious.

[Migrant-Rights.org updated the story on 20 April that they had since had two responses - from Snoonu and Wafiq Limousine's owner.]