North Korea accused of sending labourers to work as 'state-sponsored slaves' in Qatar

North Korea has been accused of sending labourers to work as 'state-sponsored slaves' on construction sites in Qatar for scanty or no wages at all.

Thousands of North Koreans working on construction sites in Qatar claim that they are hardly paid any wages in the Gulf emirate and their expectation of collecting their earnings after returning to their native country is rarely met with.

According to the Guardian, defectors claim Pyongyang regime pockets 90 percent or more of earnings made by migrants working on construction sites in Qatar, where preparations are under way for 2022 World Cup.

Aidan McQuade, the director of Anti-Slavery International said the descriptions of the conditions North Korean workers endure in Qatar, which includes abuse of vulnerability, withholding of wages and excessive overtime, are highly indicative of state-sponsored trafficking for forced labour.

Some 3,000 North Koreans are estimated to be working on various projects in Qatar alone.

The report said that the labourers are part of an army of workers the North Korean regime exports around the world to bring in much-needed foreign currency.