By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
November 28 – Zahir Belounis, the French-Algerian footballer finally granted his exit visa from Qatar, would not have been allowed to leave without huge international pressure on the Qatari authorities, according to his brother. But, claims Mahdi Belounis, hundreds of thousands of Euros owed to Zahir – who had claimed 18 months of unpaid wages – remained unpaid right up until his departure from the Gulf state today.
As Belounis prepared for an emotional welcome in Paris after flying out of Doha with his wife and two daughters after a tortuous ordeal that centred on Qatar’s controversial employment laws, Mahdi Belounis said the full extent of his brother’s plight had yet to be revealed.
“He didn’t get his money, he didn’t get anything,” Mahdi told Insideworldfootball as he anticipated Zahir’s arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport. “But money isn’t everything. He just wants to get home.”
Mystery surrounds the exact circumstances and timing of Beloudis finally being handed his exit visa and the extent to which the French embassy in Doha might have facilitated it.
Sources say the player was forced to drop his legal claim against the Qatari authorities and that he flew of the country several hours before the arrival of a delegation from FIFPro, the international players’ union that has been campaigning hard on his behalf and is planning a series of meetings with the Qatari authorities to discuss players’ rights.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support Zahir has received around the world,” said Mahdi. “His release would definitely not have happened without the pressure on the Qatari authorities which, ultimately, was too great. There is a lot to come out, trust me, but first we want to get him home. Once he sets foot in France, he’ll have a lot to say.”
Belounis was caught up in the kafala employment system that ties migrant workers to specific sponsor employers who are responsible for their living conditions and decide when they can leave the country.
Until now, high level requests for his release, including from French prime minister Francois Hollande, had fallen on deaf ears. Belounis, who said he was a “destroyed” man after having to sell all his possessions, was believed to be on medication for depression and had talked of suicide.
His release from his ‘kafala’ contract will be a relief to his family and campaigners, but also to thousands of vulnerable migrant workers in Qatar where authorities have pledged to change the law before full-scale construction begins on the 2022 World Cup.
The next move for Belounis could be to join a club in France or England in January, but not until he has held his mother in his arms. “They are really close and my mother has been sick with worry for the best part of two years,” said Mahdi. “We also have a mentally handicapped brother and he doesn’t understand why he has not been able to see Zahir.”
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