Trapped in Qatar
My contract was terminated unexpectedly. I have a bank loan and now no income to pay it off. They have taken my passport until the bank gives clearance. My wife and children have left here as it is too stressful and distressing for them to stay and see the way I am being treated. I am desperate to leave here and reunite with my family. I have been held here for 2 months so far. My wife is trying to access a loan from overseas to pay off loan here but it is very difficult. I have missed out on 2 job offers elsewhere that were going to pay me more than i earnt here so could have paid loan back from overseas. I feel like a prisoner here. No passport and no way out. this has torn my family apart. We just want to close this chapter of our lives for ever. Any advice???
Thanks
Why dont you try to work in Qatar and get an offer? I also was in your situation since May 2011 and I found a new job. I gave the offer letter to the bank and now the salary letter from the new company. The bank shall open my frozen account once they get may salary from the new company.
If you get an offer in Qatar and still your company do not give you NOC and sponsorship transfer, then you can approach the MOI or Human Rights Commission in Qatar because then your company is wrong.
Aha, I will advise to be cautious in how you confront your previous employers over the passport side of this issue. Companies in Qatar have this dishonest way of turning your passport in to the local police department and claiming that you absconded from your contract (basically disappeared w/o completing your contract), and asking those police to arrest you. They will even be so helpful as to give them your company accommodation address and call to be certain that you are home when they arrest you. Then you have no access to your embassy OR legal representation unless someone else does it for you. So go to the embassy FIRST, ask them for your options, then go talk to the bank. It could be that your employers are only doing their duty by the bank, and not against you. We do not know, because in either of your duplicate threads did you mention why you were terminated. Either way, once they discover that you are trying to fix it yourself, they may try the absconder trick against you just to make trouble. Be cautious!
As said by others, your final option would be to approach embassy. Passport is your personal property and the property of the Government which issued the passport. It is illegal for anyone to hold this on behalf of anyone else. I think this was already discussed in QL.
Also, inquire with your bank. Most of the personal & vehicle loans issued by the bank are covered under insurance against Death and Job lose. If you are lucky enough and if your loan falls under this category, may be you might get exempted.
NOTE: I'm not advising you to escape w/o paying the local debts that you created and cannot pay. Only offering creative solutions that might allow you to pay those debts back. Currently you cannot pay because you cannot work. Circular argument, no solutions unless you can get out of the trap. What the bank and country is trying to ensure is that you pay your debts before leaving. Debt creates shortfall elsewhere which enables debt for other projects, etc. What your former employers are trying to do, has not been posted by you, so we at QL would have no idea other than the bank debts. Hope this was a little bit helpful.
2) Go to your embassy and ask them for assistance, possibly a temporary passport (to replace a lost passport) that will allow you to exit without an exit letter. This along with a letter from them for why you don't have an entry or work visa stamp may allow you to leave, if Italy is one of the 22 privledged countries with tourist visa-on-arrival. 3) Proceed further into debt using outside monies, though at least you can escape the trap you are in. Of course, you could always get a temp passport from the embassy and try making your way to another nearby country to exit there so you can get a job elsewhere.
As they will not give you an exit letter w/o paying the bank dues, and w/o outside funding to assist you. It is noted that you did not discuss the reasons, valid or otherwise, for your "unexpected termination". Ultimately you are stuck here and can only do one of three things.1) Easiest of the three is to blame yourself for not preparing better. I would say that over 60% of workers here don't save anything for emergencies, so that would not be strange. 2) Go to your embassy and ask them for assistance, possibly a temporary passport (to replace a lost passport) that will allow you to exit without an exit letter. This along with a letter from them for why you don't have an entry or work visa stamp may allow you to leave, if Italy is one of the 22 privledged countries with tourist visa-on-arrival. 3) Proceed further into debt using outside monies, though at least you can escape the trap you are in. Of course, you could always get a temp passport from the embassy and try making your way to another nearby country to exit there so you can get a job elsewhere.NOTE: I'm not advising you to escape w/o paying the local debts that you created and cannot pay. Only offering creative solutions that might allow you to pay those debts back. Currently you cannot pay because you cannot work. Circular argument, no solutions unless you can get out of the trap. What the bank and country is trying to ensure is that you pay your debts before leaving. Debt creates shortfall elsewhere which enables debt for other projects, etc. What your former employers are trying to do, has not been posted by you, so we at QL would have no idea other than the bank debts. Hope this was a little bit helpful.
:(
Iam Sorry to hear that!
So sad of you!
Why don't you talk to the bank and ask to provide you letter address to MOI or company that u still have an obligations in the bank & you need to settle it first before u can leave qatar. Might as well ask the bank to help you to coordinate in your company, tell them that your willing to pay your loan but your company is making problem for you & request for NOC.
hope this could help u